Just a Drop in the Ocean
by TimeTravellingCupcake
Summary: Faraway lands, treasures, adventures…love. She thought they were the stuff of make believe; he showed her how real they could be. Killian Jones/OC. Slight AU. Begins before "The Crocodile."
1. A Strange Sight to See

**Disclaimer: I'm only doing this once, so let's make it good. I do not own Once Upon a Time or anything familiar. So don't sue. ;)**

* * *

**Chapter 1: **A Strange Sight to See

The sky was a murky grey and, despite the fact that it was well into the afternoon, the air was colder than it was at the crack of dawn. Regardless, the marketplace was bustling with activity because just as the cold didn't regard the time of day, life didn't regard the cold, so, naturally, neither did the merchants or their customers. Walking along the street through the market were two such customers: two young women bundled in thick cloaks, their cheeks and noses rosy; they stopped every so often to chat with a familiar face or to look at the different goods for sale.

"This would make a beautiful dress," the brunette, Anna, remarked when they approached a stall displaying bolts of fabric. "Don't you think?"

"Hmm," the blonde, Audra, squinted to scrutinize the specific bolt Anna had referred to. Anna watched with a roll of her eyes; she was used to this type of behavior from her friend. Audra, whose aspiration was to become a King's Scholar sometime in the near future, acted like she knew everything about everything; that was the case in this situation. She didn't know, and couldn't care less, about the details of certain fabrics aside from practical uses.

"I…suppose so," Audra shrugged. "Do you need a new dress?"

"No," Anna frowned, mentally sorting through different bodice styles. "Devlin's engagement party is next month, and Tess has been so busy helping mother plan that she hasn't had the chance to get a new one."

"If she's having trouble keeping up with your mother for the engagement party, imagine how she'll be when she's planning the wedding!" Audra giggled at the thought. Anna shook her head, and pulled her coin purse from inside her cloak. She looked over at the woman selling the fabric and smiled.

"Will you hold the entire bolt aside for me Mrs. Bishop?" Anna asked, holding a handful of coins over to the woman. "We have some more shopping to do and I would hate to drop it and get it dirty."

"Of course, Lady Annaleigh," Mrs. Bishop nodded. "It'll be safe with me. Best not stay out for too much longer, though. You both look like you're going to freeze."

"We're fine, but thank you," Anna smiled, and then she and Audra continued along the crowded street. Once they were far enough away from the stall, Audra pushed Anna's shoulder softly.

"Are you happy with your purchase 'Lady Annaleigh?'" she mocked. Audra loved to poke fun at her best friend as often as possible and since the use of her formal title was a sore spot for Anna, it was what Audra loved to use most. For as long as they had been friends, Anna had always been simply known as…well, Anna, to everyone. But when they were around any manor guards or noblemen visiting from other parts of the kingdom she was suddenly Lady Annaleigh Bowen, daughter of Lord Liam and Lady Isabel. And as soon as she heard any of those words, Audra would spring into action.

"Oh hush," Anna scoffed, shyly fingering the ribbons of her corset. "She knows I become of age tomorrow; she's just being polite."

"Yes," Audra laughed. "Politely sucking up. You're not just a little girl anymore; people will expect you to act seriously."

"I've always been serious." Audra shot her a look. "When I need to be, at least."

"Well now you've got enough years on you to prove it." Audra paused in thought. "Next thing you'll know, your father will have a suitor picked out for you."

"Oh stop it."

"Some lord from across the kingdom. Or maybe even from another kingdom! I hope he's handsome, at least, for your sake; I'd hate it if I was forced to marry someone…homely."

"You're getting ahead of yourself, now," Anna laughed.

Their conversation continued, flowing from one subject to the next. But before they knew it, they had reached the very end of the market street, where the endless rows of merchant stalls met a street made up of pubs, taverns and inns that were situated along the dockside. Anna laughed at a joke Audra made and turned her eyes to the grey waters that jumped and whispered with the growing wind. She was about to suggest they start heading back, until she spotted a large dark object a few miles offshore; Anna frowned and took a few steps forward.

"Do you see that?" she asked Audra.

"See what?"

"That." She pointed along her line of sight, making out white sails. "It's a ship!"

"A ship? Really?" Audra squinted and shook her head. "It doesn't look like a merchant ship."

From the distance they were at, they couldn't tell much about it, but it would seem that Audra was right: it wasn't a merchant vessel. The ships delivering cargo from faraway lands docked here twice monthly but they were much shorter…flatter…wider than the ship Anna had spotted. That ship was much more complex, almost in a regal sense, with its many sails and tall hull.

With a quick glance behind her at the market, Anna's thoughts strayed to the stories she had heard about other lands, about the kingdoms across the sea. However beautiful they were, they were also home to dark things, she recalled, like murderous ogres who could find their prey despite their lack of sight, and magic-wielders who could rip a heart out of a man's chests without hesitation. Just the idea of magic itself was chilling since it had been abandoned in her kingdom long ago in favor of science and greater knowledge. She never understood how the merchant ships—which brought wonderfully strange things that made everyone's heart soar with awe—could come from such terrible places.

"I wonder where it came from." Anna muttered, imagining those places.

* * *

The small seaside village looked peaceful through the telescope with its rustic buildings and little specs of people milling about the streets. Killian Jones, Captain of the _Jolly Roger_, had had a previous mind to avoid the island kingdom of Doria while staring at his maps and charts in the weeks prior. Yes, it was a prosperous place and there were many treasures that lay beyond its shores, but there was a bigger bounty to be taken, easier with much less a risk, in another kingdom less than a week's travel further east than Doria. At least, that was his plan until the sea gods decided otherwise and what should've taken a week was now taking two, possibly more, thanks to the strong winds and rough, choppy water.

His men were tired and angst-ridden, looking forward to a good meal and stiff drink— they had run out of rum days ago—more than the prospect of treasure. Killian realized that unless he wanted a mutiny on his hands, a short shore leave to rest and stock up on supplies was a smart decision, and he quickly relayed the order to his men. The shouts of relief were short-lived though once they realized that they still had to fight the sea until they reached their new destination.

Killian lowered the telescope from his eye and turned away from his window; he could hear shouts above, on deck, and figured he would be needed. He was about to leave the comforts of his cabin when his eyes strayed momentarily to the maps that sat on his desk. There was one in particular that caught his eye; an old map sketched on vellum, which had been worn and yellowed with age. The map itself wasn't what intrigued him, but a hasty scribbling in the very corner. A previous owner's note to self, misplaced, thanks to a lack of paper to write upon. How had he not seen it before?

A smirk spread on the captain's lips and he chuckled heartily; maybe this interruption in their journey would get him some treasure after all.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So…I've been AWOL from this fan fiction stuff for a while now and thought it might be fun and stress-relieving if I got into it again. And after hearing that Captain Hook would be on OUAT and watching a few episodes of the new season, the story just popped into my head. Yeah. Not a solid reason, but I hope it'll be a good story.

Let me know what you think; reviews are love!


	2. Coincidental Meetings

**Chapter 2:** Coincidental Meetings

_…there was a knock on the door and Rebecca hesitantly looked up from her needlework. Strange, she thought, she wasn't expecting visitors this late in the evening; who could it be? She slowly placed the dress she was mending beside her and got up to answer the door. Just as her fingers brushed the handle, the…_

"Anna," a voice echoed through the library, causing Anna to jump in surprise. She looked up from the book she was reading towards the door to find her older brother leaning against it with a smirk on his face. "Reading those horror books again?"

"Perhaps," she answered, bashfully smoothing the skirt of her dress.

"I hope I didn't give you too much of a start," Devlin replied with sincerity.

"Just a tad."

"I apologize."

"Think nothing of it," Anna laughed, running a finger down the spine of the book. "I've read this one many times, so I should anticipate what's going to happen; I never do though."

"Can you spare a moment?" Devlin asked. Anna made to stand up, but Devlin just waved a hand at her and entered the room. As he sat down in the plush chair beside her, Anna noticed he was holding an object protectively out of her sight.

"What've you got there?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Hmm?" Devlin raised an eyebrow, then produced a flat wooden box from behind his back. "Oh, this. Well, you didn't think I would forget my dear little sister's birthday, did you?" He placed the box on the table between their chairs and slid it towards her. "Open it."

"You know you didn't have to, Dev," Anna scolded, taking the box in her hands regardless.

"You always say that," he scoffed in reply. Devlin had always given her a special gift for her birthday, something to surprise her when the clothes their parents had commissioned for her—with her oversight at fittings, of course—could not.

"Now go on."

Anna shook her head at him, unable to contain the smile that bloomed on her face. She ran an hand over the smooth, polished wood and then gently undid the small gold clasp that was holding the box shut. As she lifted the lid, her eyes widened and her jaw fell open.

"Devlin," she breathed out. She quickly looked over at her smirking brother and felt at a loss for words. "W-what—"

"Ha ha," he laughed heartily, clapping his hands in glee. "Are you surprised?"

"For lack of a better word," Anna stammered, gently lifting one of the four beautifully crafted knives from the silk pillow that held them. "But…why?"

"Well," Devlin ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. "You're a grown woman now, sister. Grown women tend to get married and married women live with their husbands."

"Yes," she nodded slowly, knowing this as common sense, but unable to grasp his point.

"And you see, over the past month, I've noticed many messengers being sent to and from River's Bluff; I believe Lord Michael has a son only a few years older than you."

"Yes. I've met Charles before."

"You _are_ 18 now, Anna," Devlin paused. "Tess was 18 when Father and Lord Thomas began negotiating our possible courtship. Not to jump to any conclusions about the correspondence between Father and Lord Michael, but I want to know that you're able to protect yourself when the time comes that you are to leave Corwyn to get married, whether it's to River's Bluff or Ardin, or any other city in the kingdom. I want to know you're safe."

"I can protect myself just fine," Anna frowned, setting the box of knives down onto the table. "If I recall, I've bruised you quite a bit over the years."

"And that was in good jest when we were just children," Devlin agreed, recalling the way she would kick his shins when he teased her. "But what would you do if facing a man with a sword?"

"I…" Anna began confidently, then paused at her brother's expectant stare. "I don't know. What kind of silly question is that?"

"Ah, but it isn't a silly question." He smirked and stood up; as he reached the library door, he turned and looked at Anna. "We'll begin your lessens next week, and hopefully by next year, you'll be skilled enough to wield those knives and, at least, to shoot an arrow straight and true."

"B-but…" Anna stammered.

"No buts," Devlin said, pointing at her quickly, the turned to leave. As his footsteps faded down the hallway, he shouted back. "Happy Birthday; I'll see you at dinner."

* * *

Night had fallen on the town of Corwyn, and the bustling streets of the marketplace had begun to clear some; shoppers and merchants alike soon fled to the local taverns to boast about a great deal they had finagled and get a tall one that would fight the unseasonable chill from their bones.

With a pensive stare, Killian surveyed the rapidly filling main room of "Edwin's Pub," the establishment that he and his crew had practically been rooted to since they docked the previous afternoon, with the exception of the time between the hour the pub had closed late last night—or rather, quite early this morning—and when it opened again at noon. He had given the men a warning not to be too rowdy since these townsfolk, or those of any town in the kingdom, were probably not accustomed to drunken pirate duels or the mindless chasings of anything wearing a skirt. Truthfully, he had not wanted anything to jeopardize his chance at treasure, and a mob of angry people was sure to do just that.

Killian carefully lifted his beer mug to his lips and downed the rest of the dark amber liquid it held; with a nod to the barman, he placed a silver coin onto the polished wooden bartop and rose from his stool. After a quick scan of the room, he fluidly approached his first mate.

"John," he greeted with a strong hand to the man's shoulder. The stubbly pirate looked up from his hand of poker and nodded in regard.

"How can I help you, captain?" John asked.

"Keep an eye on the men, will you?" Killian asked. "Make sure they return to the ship at a decent hour."

"'Course, sir," John nodded. "But, if I might ask, where are you going?"

"Out," Killian replied stiffly, superiority flashing behind his eyes.

"Alright, sir," John sat straighter under his captain's gaze. "I'll make sure the men don't get into any trouble."

"Good man," Killian replied with a pat on John's shoulder, turning on his heel to exit the pub. As he stepped out into the night, he sucked in a breath of the crisp air, and watched as the torches that illuminated the cobblestone streets flickered with the wind. After a few moments of careful deliberation, he turned the corner and started down the market street, his eyes resting on the large silhouette of the manor house that sat upon the hill just outside of town.

He knew he should've told his crew, or John at least, where he was going and what his intentions were, but then they would've wanted to join him as well. They always jumped at the chance to plunder, but this was no time to plunder. The treasure that he sought would take more than just brute force, especially that from tired, drunk pirates; no, he would let the crew get their rest and fill of alcohol, and he would get the treasure himself.

Finding the object of his desire would be easy, Killian thought as he walked; although he didn't know the layout of the manor, he doubted it would take much time to find where the valuables were kept—most likely in a special room or gallery of some sort; the manors he had raided in years past had done so. And due to the cold, he figured whatever guards that were normally posted at the doors were now inside, protecting the Lord's family at a closer distance. He could slink into the shadows and get past them easily; he, as well as anyone, knew that there was no better occupation for a stupid man than that of a simple manor guard.

Killian smirked, hand resting naturally on the hilt of his sword; yes, he thought, the book would be his with little time and little effort.

* * *

"Sit up straighter Annaleigh. Smile with your eyes Annaleigh. Don't laugh so loudly, Annaleigh; you're going to wake the dead." Anna stormed down the hall after dinner that night, muttering to herself, with faint tear marks streaking her cheeks. She wrung her fingers together restlessly as she got further away from the sitting room, the sounds of the piano and her family's laughter getting fainter with every step.

Dinner had been disastrous, towards the end, at least. The meal was simple, consisting of some of Anna's favorite foods, and the conversation had been steady and enthusiastic; had some of the topic's not strayed to Anna's birthday and what would be expected of her now that she was 18, it would've been just like dinner was any other night.

Then as the dishes were cleared away, the small group consisting of Lord Liam, Lady Isabel, Devlin, Anna and Tess, of course, as she was Devlin's fiancée and therefore considered a part of the family, moved into the sitting room to continue their festivities. It was at that time that Isabel had chosen to criticize her daughter, something she did regularly. Anna had tolerated it for a while, just passing it off as her mother's normal behavior and thinking nothing of it, until Isabel began to question Anna's choice in dress.

Anna subconsciously fingered the lacy waistband of her dress, the echoes of her mother's words repeating in her mind as she continued down the hall; she had made the dress herself, a hobby that she enjoyed to no end since she was just a girl thanks to, ironically, her mother's insistence that a proper lady knew how to sew.

_She liked it well enough when I had finished sewing it,_ Anna thought, stopping for a moment as she reached the door to her room. She leaned her head against the door and sighed, staring blankly down the hall as she lost herself in her thoughts. _She complimented my choice of style and color then, so why show so much contempt towards it now?_ Anna felt a deep sense of inadequacy in her chest and considered returning to the sitting room to confront her mother.

_On the one hand, she might give me a straight answer. On the other, she might just scold me for being rude._ Anna's eyes widened as a revelation hit her._ But I am a grown woman now; I shouldn't be afraid of getting scolded by my mother. So she says she knows what's best for me; sometimes, especially in this instance, I know better._ With a nod, she pushed herself off the door and began the walk back to the sitting room…

…until she felt a strong arm circle around her waist and a hand clamp tightly over her mouth, and she was pulled back against something, or rather, someone.

"Sorry, love," a smooth, deep voice whispered to her, lips against her ear. "Can't let you go now."

**Author's Note: **Cliffhanger, hanging from a cliff. And that's why…oh, well, you know how it goes. Haha. First off, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed! Wow! I was afraid I wouldn't get a response but I'm quite happy that people are enjoying my story so far. A few review replies before I go on:

**piper:** Hi! I'm glad you liked the first chapter. I might follow the episodes in later chapters; I wanted to see how the show plays out before making that decision, but it's looking good so far.

**PrincessOfSilence:** Hi again! I remember you. Honestly, I've been busy these past few months, but I'm hoping to update The Sacrificial Souljust as soon as my brain stops obsessing over Captain Hook. Haha. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and more to come!

** :** Hello there! Thanks for the comment and kind words. I'm glad you liked the first chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one too. More to come soon, hopefully very soon!

**BluePixieOfTheGalaxy:** I know. He's amazing…and gorgeous. And thanks; I'm glad you liked the first chapter, and I hope that this one lived up to the standard as well.

**RandomlyLiving: **I'm glad you liked it; hopefully I can keep you interested.

**UntilNeverDawns: **I'm glad you liked it!

Back to the general author's note now. I'm going to try and update at least once a week, maybe more when the holidays roll around and I get a break from homework. I hope you all liked this chapter; I had fun writing it and weaving a few possible precursors to later chapters into it.

Let me know what you thought. Any questions? Comments? Concerns? Reviews to bashful little fic authors, such as myself, are like water to a person lost in a vast desert. The thirst is great! Help a thirsty girl out. (That may have sounded better in my mind.)

Thanks for reading!


	3. Buried Treasure

**Chapter 3:** Buried Treasure

This had _not_ been Killian's plan, _at all_. Sneaking into the manor and navigating its halls undetected had been easy, as he suspected, but when it came to actually finding his booty, well, it was what had gotten him into this mess.

He had been meandering along, looking into every room he came across with no avail. Just as he began looking through rooms on the second floor, he heard quick footsteps approaching from the other direction and ducked into one of the many shadowy alcoves that recessed into the walls to wait until it was safe to continue his search.

The girl had stopped at a door just a few feet away from where he was hiding, and at first he thought she was going to enter the room, but then she turned around…and looked straight at him. Killian couldn't believe it; how could she have seen him? The hall was dark; it was impossible. But then, judging by the range of emotions that played on her face, he suddenly thought otherwise. He acted quickly as she began to leave, to get help.

"Damn it all," Killian swore under his breath as he tightened his grip on the struggling girl. He pulled her along with him as he backed over to the room she had just been about to enter; he was about to release his hold on her waist to open the door when a sharp, centralized pain erupted in his foot. She had stomped on his foot!

He bit back a swear and opened the door, throwing the girl into the room before he followed, limping slightly. Killian kicked the door shut behind him and leaned against it. He lifted his foot up and grabbed it with his hand, wincing at the pain; nothing broken, which was good, but he was beyond angry.

"What the hell did you do that for?" he growled as he stood straight again, glaring at the girl. She had moved quickly across the room, positioning herself near the fireplace with as much distance between the two of them as possible.

"I'm not used to being manhandled in my own home, especially by a trespasser," she spat out, crossing her arms over her chest. "I acted accordingly. Now who are you?"

"Who are _you_?" Killian asked in return.

"I…" the girl hesitated and looked away for a split second. "I asked you first." A smirk spread on Killian's lips, the pain in his foot vanishing as quickly as the girl's confidence had.

"Yes, but why should I tell you?" Killian asked, looking over at her with a single raised eyebrow.

"I could scream," she told him. "And guards would be here within the minute."

"I could kill you," he replied, noticing the way her eyes darted to the hand that rested on his sword. "And you wouldn't get the chance to scream."

"But you haven't killed me yet."

Killian stared at her, amused at her act of confidence. For a young woman, she was certainly very doll-like. She had soft facial feature—large eyes, long eyelashes, small nose, pillowy lips—and her gauzy dress didn't help any as it was made up of layers of tulle and silk, ribbons and lace. Her brown hair contrasted greatly with her fair skin, especially in the dim lighting. She was much prettier than any doll—or tavern wench for that matter—he had ever seen in during his travels, and had he not already been searching for a treasure, Killian thought she would've been a fine prize worth taking from the kingdom of Doria.

"No, I haven't" he agreed, and then a thought popped into his head. A brilliant thought. He hadn't been able to find the room where the book was located; this girl could help him. "But I could and I _will_…unless you help me."

* * *

Anna stared at him with fear…and fascination. He was young, probably no older than Devlin, but his presence commanded attention and respect, similar to that of her father. He was fully clad in black leather, the silver of his coat buttons, belt buckle and sword the only exceptions. Anna couldn't tell in the light, but it appeared that his hair was black, even. Aside from times of mourning, she had never met a person who wore the color; it suited him well, adding to his already intimidating atmosphere. Despite his slightly disheveled appearance, Anna thought he was quite handsome.

Anna mentally scolded herself as the last thought crossed her mind; this man was an intruder in her home who had just threatened to kill her. Unless she helped him.

"Help you?" Anna frowned. "With what?"

"To find something," the man answered, taking a step towards her. "Something of great value."

"You're a thief," she replied. "That's why you're here; to steal something."

"I prefer pirate."

"Pirate?"

"Don't tell me you've never heard of pirates before," he laughed.

"I have," Anna defended. She noticed the way he was quickly advancing on her and took a step backwards.

"And what have you heard?" he asked in an amused tone, sidestepping the chairs by the fireplace without taking his gaze off of her.

"They're seafarers," Anna muttered. "Thieves. Murderers."

"Hmm," he smirked. "I would've used…different words. But just like the stories of those fighting on opposite sides of a war, your opinions and mine differ as well."

"We're not fighting on opposite sides of a war," Anna replied, hoping that she didn't sound afraid. "You are here searching for something to take, to steal, and I must help you find it."

"So you're willing to help me then?" the pirate whispered to her, now close enough to do so.

"You haven't exactly given me a choice, have you?"

* * *

"Can I ask you a question?" Anna asked as she led Killian down a dusty stairway. He had to admit that he had been impressed with the her use of deserted hallways as she led him to the gallery—she had been slightly confused when he asked her to bring him to the "treasure room"—which was located in a cellar deep below the manor. They had been silent most of the way and only came across one other person roaming the halls, which had been when Killian had learned Anna's name as she casually greeted them.

"You've just asked one," Killian replied cheekily. Anna glared at him and he smirked. "Go ahead."

"You're a pirate, which means you live on a ship."

"I'm the captain of my own ship. The _Jolly Roger_," he corrected her with pride.

"My apologies," Anna muttered. "But…have you traveled many places?"

"Aye."

"Other kingdoms far away?"

"Aye."

"What were they like?" she asked curiously.

"Much like this one. A kingdom is a kingdom; a village is a village. Although, they're much more…dishonest," Killian laughed. "Every person my crew and I have come across since we docked yesterday has been nothing but warm greetings and welcoming smiles. I never thought it possible."

"Yesterday?" Anna's eyes went wide.

"Yes. We had originally set a course for the island of Patrelle." He noticed the confused look on her face and figured that she didn't know much about the lands beyond the shores of Doria. _That must be the reason for her questions._ "The weather caused us delay, and I decided to stop here for supplies and a short rest."

"I was in the market yesterday," Anna told him. "I saw your ship as it was approaching the island."

"Then our meeting must've been fated," Killian said seductively, stepping closer to her. Although she didn't answer, he could make out the slight blush that crossed her cheeks and smirked. Anna turned a corner and led him down another flight of stairs that led to a set of tall, double doors.

"Is this it?" Killian asked.

"Yes," Anna nodded and stepped past him to grab a torch from its holder on the wall.

"Allow me," he offered once he saw her struggle to reach it. He wondered how she could be so delicate despite having put up a good fight to get away from him when he had captured her in the hall outside of her bedroom.

"I have to warn you, it'll seem quite disorganized in here for someone who doesn't know the way it's, well, organized." Anna told him as she pulled on the latch to one of the doors. "What is it that you're looking for, anyways?"

"A book," Killian replied simply as he followed her into the darkness. The light from the torch didn't help much with visibility, and he was about to comment on that fact when Anna took the torch from him.

"A book?" He nodded. "Strange. Did you ever think it possible that this…book would be in the library?" She tipped the torch into a large cauldron-like container that was filled with black powder, which combusted instantly, and the room became illuminated by the soft firelight.

As his eyes adjusted to the light, Killian was amazed at what he saw. Walls covered in paintings, tables covered with stacks of coins, shelves holding artisan vases and statuettes; he knew Doria was a prosperous kingdom—gold here was about as run-of-the-mill as grass—but the collection that was spread before him was astounding.

"It isn't that kind of book," Killian muttered in a daze. He took a few steps over to a chest that was perched on a velvet-covered stool; he had been disappointed to find that all it held were old, yellowing scrolls. _No matter_, he thought. _The room is filled with treasure._

"Not to interrupt your…salivating," Anna's voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned to around and met her expectant gaze. "But it is a tad cold down here, so if you could tell me what this _book_ looks like, we could leave."

"Hmm. Perhaps if you were dressed a little heavier," Killian began, brushing his fingers over her bare forearm. "You wouldn't be so cold. I'm not complaining, though."

"The book," Anna snapped, jumping away from him. "If you please."

"It's quite large, I suppose, with gilded pages. Has a gold-plated cover set with…" He frowned, trying to recall the note.

"Pearls," both he and Anna said at the same time, although when he had said it with revelation, she had said it with horror.

* * *

Whatever curiosity and intrigue Anna held towards the pirate before that moment had vanished instantly.

"Yes, that's it," he nodded. "You know of it?"

Oh, Anna knew it well. She recalled being a child of only four or five years old, sitting with her grandfather at the long table in the dining hall, leisurely turning the pages of the book as he told her grand tales of Corwyn Bowen, a close friend of the King and an adventurer, who was the progenitor of their family and had become the first lord of the region hundreds of years prior in return for his service to the kingdom in a time of great confusion.

When her grandfather had passed away, Anna would sneak down to the gallery and look at the miniaturized portraits of her ancestors that had been bound into the pages, her grandfather's words echoing in her mind.

_"Being a part of the Bowen house means being a part of a legacy. Scholars, artists, peacekeepers, protectors, leaders. You mustn't forget that Anna."_

But she had. It had gotten lost among etiquette lessons and dress fittings and lectures from her mother. Standing in the gallery now, with a pirate who wanted to take the book, to take her family's history, profound thoughts and doubts about her own life plagued her mind.

"Why do you want the book?" she asked after a few moments.

"I heard about it somewhere; the details are unimportant," he shrugged. "But from what I heard, it is quite valuable. The cover for one thing, the masterpieces of artists long dead that rest within its pages another."

"I wouldn't have taken you for an art aficionado," Anna laughed.

"I'm not," the pirate replied. "But I know of many who will pay grandly for such an item. Now if you could show me where it is—"

"No!" Anna jumped as he started towards her. He smirked and raised an eyebrow. "You can't take it."

"I can't take it?" he asked in an amused tone.

"I won't let you."

"You won't let me?"

"No." The pirate frowned, but then just laughed.

"I'll just find it myself then. You can go, if you'd like Anna; I can find my way out of here." She was about to give up, watching as he backed away from the chest he had been looking through and began his search, but an idea popped into her head.

"Look around you," she began. "If you only want the book so you can sell it, why not just take something else? A satchel full of gold coins?"

"Because I can get more for the book than just a single satchel filled with coins," he replied.

"Is that _all_ you care about?" Anna sneered.

"Remember when I told you that our views differed?" the pirate asked while searching a tall shelving unit. "You might think me a thief, but I think myself a treasure-hunter. An adventure seeker. You lessened my adventure by just leading me to my treasure; the only thing I can do to restore the trill is to take what I came for."

"Then you don't _have_ to take it."

"But I want to."

"But you don't _have _to."

"What kind of story can I tell my crew then? Hmm?" the pirate asked, turning around to face her. "I just waltzed into the Lord's manor, asked his daughter to lead me to their store of treasure, and then took a single bag of gold?"

"That's what this is about then?" Anna asked. "Whether it'll make a good story? You can just…lie."

"It's about the gold. As I told you, I will get more if I take the book." He was about to continue his search, but Anna hastened over to him and stopped him.

"Please, don't," she begged.

"Why do you care?" he asked.

"Because it has more value to me, to my family, than it could have to anyone else."

"So what do suggest? I sell you something that's already yours?"

"No." Anna paused and then smiled as she came to a revelation. "Yes! Stay right here." She backed away from him and when she was sure he wouldn't move, she ran across the room to a small chest that sat in the corner. She lifted the latch and dug through trinkets and old dresses and a small stuffed lamb she had named Lamby oh-so creatively once upon a time, and finally reached a velvet box with her family crest embroidered on the top of it.

When she returned to the pirate, he had an expression on his face that was somewhere between amused and bored. She handed the box out to him and he raised an eyebrow.

"Take it," Anna told him. He gently took the box and when lifted the lid, he looked at her with curiosity.

"I don't wear jewelry much," she muttered as he picked a thin gold chain with a sparrow charm from the box. "You can have everything in that box as…I suppose a payment for the book. And if you ever find yourself in want of more gold, come back and take as much as will please you. I will not stop you."

"How do you know I won't take all of it?" he asked with a smirk.

"Well, how much gold can a ship hold before sinking?" Anna asked with a smirk of her own. They stared at each other for what felt like hours before the pirate laughed.

"I don't know whether to think you smart or foolish."

"I guess I'm a bit of both," she laughed as well. "Do you accept?" She held out a hand, but rather than shake it, the pirate took her hand and brought it to his lips.

"I accept," he replied, brushing a gentle kiss over her knuckles.

* * *

Killian and Anna stood in the dark courtyard of the manor, the torches just inside the doors casting a small amount of light on them.

"So you have what you came for. Well, almost…" Anna laughed.

"Aye," Killian nodded.

"Where do you plan to go now?" she asked. "Off to kingdoms far away?"

"I've not decided yet," he shrugged. "Perhaps I could find a beanstalk to climb; the giants are said to have extraordinary amounts of treasure in their possession."

"Giants?" Anna frowned.

"You've never heard of giants?" Killian asked, earning a frantic shake of Anna's head. "They're terrible creatures standing at a height ten times your size and would kill you as soon as they'd look at you. They grow magic beanstalks that reach all the way up into the clouds."

"Oh my." He laughed as he watched her pale. "Why would you put yourself in such danger?"

"Oh, my lady Anna, I thought you had pirates figured out. We love a good story."

"I thought it was riches that you seek."

"Aye." Killian agreed.

"Well if that's so, you could just stay here," Anna offered. "The people prosper; they want for nothing."

"Why stay, though, if it adventure that I seek?" he asked in return. "You've no idea of the places I've been."

"My great-great-grandfather traveled outside of Doria with the king of his time," she said quietly. "He wrote of their journey and of the _terrible_ things he had seen. War, greed, disease, hatred, monsters. If that is the life you wish to lead, I do not see how it can be a happy one."

Killian frowned and stepped close to her, lifting a hand hesitantly to cup her cheek, surprised when she didn't flinch or back away. _How simple she is._ Killian thought._ Her naivety, her innocence, just adds to her beauty. _

"Happiness," he whispered. "Isn't always found in the safest places."

"Perhaps," she replied simply.

"Are you happy here Anna?" he asked. The girl frowned and opened her mouth, and he continued at her hesitation. "Come away with me. Come on an adventure with me Anna and you can find happiness." They were both silent, staring at each other, his blue gaze clashing with her hazel. Like land and sea.

_Maybe I could take another prize from Doria after all, _Killian thought fleetingly. The things he could show her, teach her; just from the way she had handled him tonight, he thought she would make an excellent pirate.

"I…" Anna covered his hand with one of hers. "I can't."

"You can't or you don't want to?" he asked, turning his hand over to catch hers.

"I'm…I'm happy here."

"Perhaps." He let go of her hand. "Goodnight Anna."

"Goodnight pirate."

"Killian," he corrected her.

"Goodnight Killian."

With one last glance and he turned on his heel and disappeared into the veil of night.

* * *

The next morning, Anna was awakened by her mother knocking obnoxiously at her bedroom door. She yawned and as she rubbed her eyes, the last remnants of her dreams floated through her mind. Images of handsome pirate captains strangely beautiful ships on a perfect blue sea and beanstalks that reached the heavens.

"It's late Anna," Isabel called through the door. "Almost noon. Are you awake?"

"Yes mother," Anna snapped. "For the love of…sometimes I just wish I could…" She stopped herself short and threw the heavy duvet off of her.

"What was that?" Isabel asked sharply. Anna jumped out of bed and sprinted to the door, opening it to come face to face with her mother.

"Nothing," she replied, smiling sweetly. "I'm sorry. You know how I am sometimes. Devlin always complains about my crankiness when I oversleep. Can I go to the market today?" By the time she was done racing through her words, she was out of breath.

"W—" Isabel stuttered and thought through her daughter's words once again, trying to process them at a human pace. "Yes, of course you can."

"Thank you mother," Anna smiled and kissed her cheek. "I love you." She slammed her bedroom door shut and raced around her room to get dressed as quickly as she could.

_How stupid I was_, Anna thought. A chance at adventure, away from her mother's controlling personality and the whirlwind headache that would overcome her now that she was 18; a chance at true happiness. And she had said no! She was happy in Doria, yes, but it had always felt like something was, dare she say, missing.

Anna could almost feel her ancestor's smiling down upon her as she threw on her cloak, deciding that she would find Killian and tell him that yes, she would go on an adventure with him. He had been right; life was all about a good story. The book had been filled with stories; stories of explorers, of scholars, of artists, of peacekeepers, of protectors, of leaders. And what would she be? She would get married to the future Lord of River's Bluff or Ardin and her name would be lost in history.

Anna laughed at the idea. Why would she chose that when she could chose this?

Just minutes later, she ran down the halls, yelling goodbyes to her father and brother as she passed them. She ran out of the manor and down the road, already out of breath by the time she reached the market street. She ignored the greetings of familiar faces as she hastened her way through the shoppers and merchants, her thoughts singularly focused on the strange ship she had seen with Audra and what she could possibly say when she found it.

But she didn't find it.

By the time she reached the docks, she noticed it was void of any magnificent pirate ships. She noticed the perfect, cloudless blue sky and wonderful shining sun. The light breeze caused her cloak to rustle slightly.

_The perfect wind for smooth sailing,_ she thought sadly.

**Author's Note: **Here we are again, at the end of another chapter. It was kind of a long one, but I didn't want to split it up because that would make two short chapters, and what's the fun in that? Thanks to everyone who favorited, followed and review after the last chapter. A few review replies before I continue:

**BluePixieOfTheGalaxy:** No, it's not horrible. When I got to writing that sentence I laughed a little diabolically; Hook's a pirate and they tend to do that sort of thing. And although they were kinda together for a bit, I didn't want it to be one of those "he steals her away" things right off the bat. Anyways, I'm glad you liked Chapter 2; thanks for the review. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

**PrincessOfSilence:** That would've been weird. Ha. I didn't even think of that; maybe I'll keep that in mind for another chapter later on. Well I'm glad you're enjoying it so far; I hope you liked this one too. Thanks for the review.

**piper: **I'm glad you liked the last chapter and I hope you liked this one too. Even if I do decide to follow the show, with what I have in my mind, it won't happen for a while. Thanks for the review!

**ConGrazia:** I worked out what happened last time and changed your username a tiny bit so it would appear. I feel like a schmuck not answering your questions, but they're all answered in the chapter. So…yeah. I'm glad you liked the last chapter and I hope you liked this one too. Thanks for the review!

Back to normals-ville. Howdy again. So…Killian and Anna have parted ways for now. I hope that I caught Killian's personality correctly. In the show he seems very volatile with his emotions; one minute he's kind, the next he's teasing and the next he's fuming.

So, that's it for now. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter; a new one should be posted in a few days, but I'd still like some feedback. How am I doing? Is Anna a good character so far? Is my depiction of Killian believable, or should there be more…I don't know, evil pirate stuff? Let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading!


	4. It's Time to Grow Up

**Chapter 4:** It's Time to Grow Up

Anna tugged at the handle of the knife, freeing it from one of the tree stump bulls-eyes that had been set up around the stable courtyard for her to use as target practice. It had been a year and a half since Anna's eighteenth birthday, since she met Killian, the captain of the _Jolly Roger _who had snuck into the manor to find treasure, and turned down his offer of an adventure. After running to the docks the next day and finding his ship had vanished, she had convinced herself it had been some sort of a dream. She _had_ been crying some, thinking of all the unfair things her mother had said and wishing she could get away from it all. She figured it had all been some last grand dream as a farewell to her childhood, but now she had to grow up.

And grow up she did. She began studying old books she found on the highest shelves in the library, and wrote her thoughts and findings in a journal. She spent more time with her mother, taking the insults with a grain of salt and listening to her advice; Anna found that the more she listened, the easier Isabel was to get along with. She had helped Tess with her wedding arrangements, going over every detail with a fine tooth comb; at first, Tess had seemed odd when she moved to Corwyn from Ilina, but the more time Anna spent with her, the more she realized that she was as normal of a person and as true of a friend as Audra.

Most of all, Devlin had been teaching her to throw knives, as he had promised her, and she had been becoming quite masterful at it. He had figured it would be the safest for her to learn—she was quite fragile and he doubted that teaching her to use a sword would be futile if she was ever faced with someone much bigger than her, which was mostly anyone. He had been impressed with how easily she picked it up; it only took a month or two before she could actually get the knives to hit _somewhere_ on the targets.

"You're slacking," Devlin called to his sister from across the courtyard.

"I've been at it for an hour Dev," Anna replied. "I'm getting tired."

"You're getting _lazy_," he countered.

"My corset is tight, this blouse itches, my new boots are pinching and these trousers…" Anna always complained about wearing such form-fitting clothes, especially since she used to only wear such things for travel, but she knew that it would be impossible to practice in a dress; mobility was terrible where fashion was great.

"Quite making excuses and just throw," Devlin snapped. Anna scowled and flipped the knife over in her hand to get a feel for its weight. She looked at the target, imagining her brother's face, and when she released it, the blade made contact with the bull's-eye.

"Good job," he congratulated her. "Again."

"You must be joking," Anna scoffed. When Devlin just raised an eyebrow in challenge, she sighed. "I'd like to see you do this a thousand times over, every day for the next year."

"I know how to kill a man if I need to, sister," he told her. "You do not. Not yet. Hopefully the opportunity will never arise, but I'd like to be prepared anyways."

"I wish I could kill _you_."

"My wedding is tomorrow. Please show some consideration, for Tess' sake at least." Devlin watched as Anna threw the last knife she held then turned to him. She skipped—_skipped—_across the courtyard and then punched him repeatedly in the arm.

"I. Swear. I'm. Going. To. Kill. You." She paused then began to hit him again. "Kill. You." Devlin chuckled with mirth at the action, although his arm was beginning to get sore. Anna had changed; gone was the innocent little girl, the skipping and a few other remnants left behind, and in her place was a respectable young woman.

"Are you going to stop?" he asked.

"Not any time soon, no."

"I guess you don't care that we're done for the day, then?" Anna stilled at his words and threw her arms around him in a hug.

"Thank you," Anna beamed and was about to run to the manor when Devlin stopped her.

"Don't forget to clean up after yourself," he told her, motioning towards the targets, half of them with knives embedded in the wood. Anna rolled her eyes and went to do as she was told, punching her brother in the arm one last time as she passed him.

* * *

Anna had just finished changing into a dress and had begun to brush her hair when there was a knock at her bedroom door. She was getting annoyed at all the interruptions and requests for her presence; guests from other parts of the kingdom had been arriving all week: Lords and Ladies from the closer regions and representatives from regions further away who brought good wishes and gifts for Devlin and Tess. In fact, just on her way to her room from the stable courtyard, she had been stopped to talk by at least three people.

"Who is it?" she called.

"Something from your mother, my lady," came the muffled reply. "She asked me to bring it to you." Anna huffed, working her hairbrush through a particularly difficult tangle.

"Yes, come in," she sighed. The door opened behind her and she heard the soft footsteps

"My, if I'd known a fairy princess resided in this room, I would've cleaned up a bit." Anna looked away from her reflection when she recognized the voice, and then jumped out of her seat in surprise. "Hello Anna."

There, standing before her with a bright grin on his face, was Lord Charles Henshaw, son of Lord Michael of River's Bluff. He was tall and handsome, with brown hair that curled just so and reached the nape of his neck and expressive grey-blue eyes.

"Hello Charles," Anna greeted with a smile of her own. "Did you just arrive?" Anna asked, noticing the riding clothes he wore.

"A while ago, yes," Charles replied. "But I was talking with Evan Lowell, the representative for the King. He has the aptitude for gossip akin to that of an old woman and held me up for some time."

"Yes, Lady Tara arrived a few days ago and did the same with me," she told him, and neither of them contained their laughter. When the merriment calmed, Charles looked down at himself and coughed sheepishly.

"Forgive my state; your mother said I could come up and say hello if you weren't busy. I should've changed first, but I was eager to see you."

"It's quite alright," Anna beamed brightly.

She had gotten to know Charles well over the past year and a half, thanks to his frequent visits to Corwyn under the pretense of delivering documents between their father's. Devlin had done the same thing when courting Tess, as it was a man's duty to travel between his and his intended's cities until the actual engagement during noble courtships in Doria, so Anna knew better. She found him to be very interesting and whenever news came that he would visit, her heart was set aflutter. He was always so nice to her and made her smile, but there was something…unsettling about the whole thing.

She cared about him, yes, but every minute she spent away from his company made her wonder _do I genuinely care for him in a way that would lead to love, or are these feelings arising just because our fathers have pushed us together?_ She shook those thoughts from her head and sighed; there was still time before anything serious, like marriage, was to be decided.

"Come, you can clean up a bit, and then we'll find you something to eat," Anna said, forcing a smile onto her face. "I'm sure you must be hungry after your long trip from River's Bluff."

* * *

"Attention everyone. Attention." Lord Liam's voice overpowered all those that were chattering and the crowd quieted down. "First off, I'd like to thank everyone for joining us in celebrating such a special day. I can truly tell that my son's marriage to Tess will be a happy one thanks to all the joy being shared with them tonight…"

Anna's father loved making speeches; she believed it had been destined to be his great calling if he were the general of an army during times of war. However, as he was not he had to just settle for making speeches at gatherings instead.

Devlin and Tess' wedding had been beautiful and very emotional, not only for her family and Tess' parents, but for all the guests as well. It had all seemed a blur for Anna, though, as her mother had her on disaster control to make sure nothing got too…out of hand. Weddings tended to cause problems—arguments between guests, not enough wine, food not making it to people's plates fast enough—and Isabel was a perfectionist. She would rather die than have someone speak ill about something so close to her. The wedding, rather, more than the bride and groom themselves.

Everything had gone as planned though, and Anna was enjoying the reception. She stopped at mostly every table, listening to stories and jokes. One of the guests, a Scholar friend of her father's, had even brought _her_ a gift; it was a book about different universes and dimensions. He told her that it was his life's work to find if the stories had been true and he had traveled far and wide to find answers.

"If I had another life to live," he had said. "I could put my knowledge to good use. Create…a device that could be used to travel to them so I could learn more about them. I've heard rumor that fairy magic could do it…but…_magic_. The handiwork of demon's. Who uses magic anymore? Not anyone here. Not anyone I'd like to meet."

When Anna began asking him questions, he refused to speak another word of it, and told her to read the book. She had just about abandoned the reception right then and there to do just that, but figured it would be impolite and returned to her seat.

"To keep in trend of this wonderful occasion," Liam continued, gaining Anna's attention once more. "I have an announcement to make. As most of you know, Isabel and I have another child: Annaleigh." Anna blushed as the guests murmured their acknowledgement and greeted her. She lifted a hand in greeting and could feel the burning in her cheeks get worse. "Yes, there she is. Annaleigh. Well, I'm happy to announce that as of tonight, she and Lord Charles Henshaw of River's Bluff are engaged to be married."

As a congratulatory cheer rang throughout the crowd of guests, Anna's stomach—and her jaw—dropped in horror.

**Author's Note:**

**Readerpossessed:** You're so kind! I'm glad you like the story so far. I'm going to try and update on a timely basis, so I hope you keep reading. Thanks for the review.

**PrincessOfSilence:** I'm glad you liked chapter 3 and I hope you like this chapter as well. Thanks for the review.

**luvdamon: **Thanks, I'm glad you like the story and Anna so far, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter too. Thanks for the review!

Hello again. Here we are at the end of Chapter 4. It was somewhat short, and lacking some action, and there's no Captain Killian Jones in this one either, but he'll be back soon and the action will pick up again. I promise. I hope you enjoyed this one regardless.

Anyways, that's pretty much it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited after Chapter 3. I'd love some more feedback though. Do you like the story so far? Is Anna a believable character? Is she a good OC? Any questions? Suggestions, even? Leave a review and let me know.

Thanks for reading!


	5. The Escape

**Chapter 5: The Escape**

"How could you do this?" Anna asked with tears in her eyes. It was late, well past midnight; the festivities of the wedding had ended almost an hour before, with most of the guests fleeing to their rooms to sleep off the copious amounts of wine and food they had consumed. Anna had tried to keep a smiling face for the rest of the night, despite her shock towards her father's announcement, but as soon as the reception wound down, she asked, no, demanded to speak with him in his study.

Liam sat at his desk holding a glass of wine in one hand and his head in the other as he listened to her talk.

"Anna, calm down," he tried. "This should be a joyous occasion. Your brother has just gotten married, and now you're engaged as well."

"Don't you think _I_ should have been the first to know about my engagement? When Charles actually_ proposed_ to me _himself_?"

"I thought you liked Charles," Lord Liam said.

"I do," Anna replied softly, falling limply onto the lounge by the fireplace.

"Then why are you so upset?"

"Because I don't love him," she sighed. "Not yet. It's…too early."

"Anna, be reasonable. Every time he comes to Corwyn, you're practically inseparable. It might be too early for love, but the first signs are there."

Anna closed her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks uncontrollably. Her thoughts were travelling at light speed and she was barely able to keep up with them. Liam sighed and stood, placing his glass down, and crossed the room. He knelt in front of Anna and felt his heart break at the sight of her tears. He didn't understand why she was so sad. Charles was a kind young man with good intentions and a bright future; they got along splendidly—exponentially better than he and Isabel had when they were courting.

"What are you thinking, dove?" he asked his daughter.

"I…" Anna hesitated and sighed. "I don't know what to think. Even if I had wanted to say no, you've taken that choice away from me. Now I'll have to leave here, leave everything I love, and go to River's Bluff. I've only begun to experience what life has to offer…and it's being taken away from me."

"Oh, don't think of it that way. Think of it as an opportunity. Maybe you don't think this a good idea…but once you're married, you'll see. You'll love each other, be each other's best friend, and keep each other safe. You'll be happy."

_Happiness isn't always found in the safest places,_ a phantom voice echoed in Anna's head. Anna slowly opened her eyes and stared into the fireplace, flames jumping and crackling.

"He's right," she whispered.

"Ah see," Liam cheered, taking her words to mean that _he_ was right. He helped her to her feet, smoothing back her hair so he could kiss her forehead. "Now, off to bed; it's been a long day, and we all need rest. Tomorrow will be a new one. A happy one."

"Yes father," Anna replied, lost in her sea of thoughts. With that, she began the long walk to her bedroom, her steps instinctive rather than conscious.

_Could I really do it?_ Anna bit her lip in contemplation. _I would get caught, surely. Unless…_

_Happiness isn't always found in the safest places_. The words echoed in her head again and she smiled.

* * *

Charles was the first person to greet her late the next afternoon; so late, it was almost nightfall by the time he found her. He had sat outside of her room for hours after waking that morning, thinking and worrying but too scared to actually knock on her door for fear that he would wake her or upset her more than she already was. He saw the shock in her eyes at the wedding reception and it killed him to know that he was the cause of it.

After a while, he gave up and picked himself off the floor, figuring he looked a sight after running his hands through his hair so many times. It was then that he heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching and he turned to see Anna slowly turning the corner at the end of the hall.

"A-Anna!" Charles called out, startling her. The leather knapsack she had been carrying fell to the ground silently as she jumped.

"Good afternoon Charles," she greeted with a small nod, fingers playing with her corset strings.

"I'm sorry. So sorry," he apologized, hastening towards her.

"Whatever for?" she asked.

"For last night," he replied, bending over to pick up her knapsack. "I hadn't…hadn't planned for that to happen. I had only asked your parents for your hand in marriage, but I wasn't planning to propose to you. Not yet. But I wanted to know that I had their blessing. Your mother, though…she insisted—"

"My mother," she laughed lightly. "I should've known."

"I just assumed that she knew what you wanted best," he continued.

"It's alright," Anna sighed, wishing that he would just leave her be. "You don't have to explain."

"I care for you Anna. Deeply. I never intended to hurt you."

"I'm not hurt, Charles," she told him.

"Really?"

"Shocked, of course. Angry, yes, but not at you. Not hurt, though," she replied.

"I'm glad," he beamed. "You will make a wonderful wife." She forced a small smile at his words.

"And you'll make a wonderful husband," Anna told him quietly, thinking, _just not mine._ "Now I'm afraid I must go. Errands to run and such."

"Would you like some company?" Charles asked.

"No," Anna laughed. "I wouldn't want to bore you to death. Enjoy your day; I'm sure you don't get a chance to relax much in River's Bluff."

Charles took one of her hands and raised it to his lips. The action reminded Anna of a similar one, long since lost in the world of her dreams.

"I shall see you at dinner then," Charles grinned and began on his way.

"Oh, Charles," she stopped him.

"Hmm?"

"My bag," she said, nodding to the knapsack that he still held by the straps.

"Oh," he chuckled and handed it to her. "I had forgotten. Seems full."

"Not quite, but almost," Anna agreed nervously.

"I hope you aren't planning on going anyplace," he teased and then left, looking over his shoulder at her once more before he turned the corner and started for the library where he hoped to get some reading done.

Once she was sure she was alone, Anna let out a shaky breath and leaned back against the cold stone wall behind her.

"That was close."

* * *

It was incredibly late by the time Anna left her room again. She had skipped dinner, faking a headache so her mother would leave her be, but then hastily changed into the clothes she usually wore while training with her brother. _Funny_, she thought as she tightened the laces on her boots._ They're not as uncomfortable now that I'm wearing them for something I _want_ to do._ She then went over every object in her bedroom, taking extra care in positioning them in certain places and roughing the bed sheets and pillows just so, so that her disappearance wouldn't be noticed immediately.

With one last look at the room filled with everything that made her Annaleigh Bowen, she grabbed the knapsack she had packed that morning and left. Every step became a memory she was leaving behind—listening to her grandfather's stories, arguing with her mother, playing hide-and-seek with Devlin when they were children, exploring every room, every staircase and every corridor—and as much as she felt reluctance to continue her escapade creep up on her, she stayed resolute in her decision. As soon as she set foot outside, she would became Anna. Just Anna. She became _no one_. And it would be liberating. She was sure of it.

"Anna?" A tired voice halted her in her steps as she neared the door leading out to the courtyard. Anna turned around and saw Devlin in his night clothes, holding a cup with one hand and rubbing his eyes with the other. "What are you doing up this late? I thought you weren't feeling well."

"I'm…not," she tried. "Headache. I figured a bit of fresh air would do me good."

"So you're going to take a walk?" he asked. "Now?"

"Yes."

"It's…the middle of the night." Devlin looked at his sister with bewilderment; he wanted nothing more than to return to his and Tess' room, to his bed, to his wife, to his _sleep_, but he also wanted to know if his sister had lost her mind. There she stood, dressed in her training clothes, her hair pinned and clipped up in a curly, messy mass upon her head, about to take a walk _in the middle of the night_. He didn't know if this was real or just some insane dream.

"Yes, I know," she muttered. "But I'll sleep better."

"Anna," he sighed.

"Dev, can you just…" Anna sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Let me do what's best for me; I think I know what that is better than anyone."

"I…" Devlin paused and considered her words. "Alright. But please, be careful and don't stray too far. Mother will have a fit if you get hurt."

"I promise," Anna smiled and nodded.

"Goodnight," Devlin replied.

"Wait, Dev," Anna stopped him before he could get far.

"Yes?" he asked, turning back to face her, only to be attacked in a hug that almost caused him to drop the cup of water he had gotten for Tess.

"Goodnight," Anna muttered. She backed away from him and then watched as he waved towards her and shook his head as he retreated down the hall, unsure of whether or not it would be the last time she ever saw him.

* * *

Just in the few short hours since she had left the manor, since she left Corwyn, Anna had experience more than she had her entire life. Her plan was to travel to the next closest town, Cithara—which, while still under her father's oversight as Lord of the region, was far less safer since she had never been there and would not be recognized—and buy passage out of Doria. She knew travelling by foot was a safer bet, as she knew suspicions would rise quickly if the guards saw her horse missing and then found that she was as well. She was beginning to have doubts, though. No, she didn't want to go home, and she wasn't worried about money—she figured that she had brought enough gold with her to buy passage on a dozen ships—but while walking along the road towards Cithara, she considered staying in Doria just for the purpose of exploring.

The forest was beautiful. Anna had never noticed the little details before as she was never given the opportunity to explore while traveling by horseback. Every leaf and every petal would tremble with every shift in the wind, however small; rabbits would jump happily from their nests to find food; and the day's first sunlight filtered through the canopy of branches high above, creating perfect beams that highlighted the pollen floating in the air. She wondered if her great-great-grandfather had felt the awe and wonder she felt now when he travelled to other kingdoms.

_Perhaps,_ she pondered_, it didn't matter how many terrible things there were in those lands if there were also things as beautiful as this forest._

Knowing that she would find out herself soon enough, a smile bloomed on her face…and stayed there until she smelled something strange. Smoke? Was that…smoke that she smelled? Was she imagining it? Where was it coming from?

Curious, Anna strayed off the road and pushed through the dense foliage to follow the strange smell. She found a small clearing that, indeed, had the smoky remains of a campfire with a few logs and rocks positioned around it as places to sit. It wasn't a strange occurrence—she knew many children camped out in the forest to tell scary stories and play games; Anna had been invited to some herself when she was younger, but had never gone—so she was about to continue on her way to Cithara, until she saw something glint in the morning light. With a frown, she stepped over one of the logs and picked up the object; a bottle.

She dusted the dirt off of the bottle and turned it over in her hands. "Rum," she muttered, reading the label. "Hmm."

"Well well," a gruff voice sounded in her ear and Anna felt arms encircle her waist and lift her off the ground. "Look what we have here. Curious little girl, isn't she? Snooping in places she doesn't belong."

"Let me go," Anna shrieked, struggling to get free. "Let…go!"

"Looks more like a rabbit though, wouldn't you say? So skittish." A scruffy-looking man came into view, then another, and another. One with long hair tied back, one with a shiny bald head, one with a few teeth missing, and even one with an eye patch. Anna was frightened; she had to get away.

"And look at this," one of the men grabbed her ankle as she flailed her legs to get free. He plucked a knife out of her boot and smirked. "She even has a little knife. How sweet?" Suddenly her world brightened; she had forgotten that she had tucked the knife into her boot before leaving the manor. The others were in her knapsack, sure, but if she could get her hands on _that_ knife, she might get free. And if she could get free, she was sure she could run fast enough to get away from these men.

"What do you have a knife for, love? To cut string while you're sewing?" the man holding her knife asked, waving it in the air carelessly as the other men laughed. Anna smiled bitter-sweetly and used what momentum she had to swing her foot up and kick him in the face. The man fell to the ground, and while the others were frozen in shock, Anna threw her head back, wincing as it knocked against the face of the man holding her. Thankfully, he wasn't holding her too much longer, and Anna fell to the ground.

"Oh no you don't, sweetheart," the bald one grumbled as she got to her feet, grabbing her arm as she tried to run. She let out a startled shriek and swung at him with her free hand, slapping him right across the cheek. "Ah! You little—" Anna slapped him again and he finally released her.

Everything was a blur. Hands were grabbing her, she was hitting them with slaps and punches and kicks whenever she could. She fell to the ground once as one of them tugged her knapsack off and again to her knees when someone grabbed her ankle. Eventually, she did gain possession of her knife again, but the adrenaline of the encounter was causing reality to become one big blur. She slashed clumsily at someone who grabbed her and got to her feet. She turned around and found the long-haired one right in front of her with an alert expression on his face; he grabbed her by the shoulders and held her still.

"Let me go. Let me go."

"Calm down, miss," he said frantically. "They didn't want to hurt you. They're just a little drun—" He didn't get another word in as her fist hit his cheekbone and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Anna grabbed her knapsack and was about to run when she felt something _very _solid hit her head; she stumbled a few steps and her vision blurred. She fell backwards and saw a shadowy silhouette tower over her.

"You!" The voice belonging to the silhouette was distorted and fuzzy. Anna frowned, wondering what had happened, but soon, everything faded to darkness.

**Author's Note:**

**PrincessOfSilence:** I'm glad you like Anna and the last chapter, and I hope you liked this chapter as well. Thanks for reviewing.

**Guest:** I'm glad you like Anna and the story so far. No Killian in this one, but he _may_ or may not be in the next one. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well; thanks for reviewing.

**Eline: **Here it is! I hope you liked it. Thanks for the review!

**princessyuki08: **Yeah. Definitely no Anna/Charles. Not that he's a bad guy…but this _is _a Hook/OC. I think it would be weird if the OC didn't end up with him; but he _did _say that he had many a man's wife in the show. That could've been an interesting twist. Haha. Anyways I'm glad you like Anna and the story so far, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter too. Thanks for reviewing.

**luvdamon: **Oh, she was _not_ pleased. At all. Haha. I'm glad you like Anna and the story so far, and I hope you liked this chapter too. Thanks for the review.

Who else saw the winter finale of OUAT? Oh! So good. I love sexy, evil Captain Hook, even if he's evil for a reason. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited after Chapter 4. Feedback is always welcome. Thanks for reading!


	6. So We Meet Again

**Chapter 6:** So We Meet Again

"Miss. Miss. Come on; wake up, miss." A strange voice cut through the silence of Anna's dreamless sleep and she groaned at the pounding sensation in her head. "There you go. Slowly, now. Slowly."

Anna winced as she tried to open her eyes, but managed to…eventually. As her vision came into focus, she was shocked to find the long-haired man, with a very nasty looking shiner, standing over her. Recognizing him, she jumped into an upright position and scooted backwards and away from him.

"Don't be scared," he said, holding his hands up as a sign of peace. "I'm not here to hurt you. I reckon I must look a sight though; you really packed a punch. Though I'm much better off than Cody; you cut him up pretty good. He needs stitches." His words didn't make much sense to Anna thanks to the terrible, pulsating headache she had, as well as the ringing in her ears. She remembered…getting hit in the head; surely, though, it hadn't been _that_ hard.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Anna asked frantically, taking in her surroundings. She was sitting on a cot in a small, poorly lit room. _No, not room_, Anna thought, noticing the metal bars opposite her. _Prison cell._ The man who had woke her up stood up straight and smiled.

"I'm John, miss," the man introduced with a slight nod, and then knocked a hand on one of the solid wooden walls. "And this here is the _Jolly Roger_." The _Jolly Roger_. Anna thought the name was familiar, but she couldn't place where she had heard it before.

"Why am I here?" Anna sighed.

"You were causing trouble, miss; you attacked us in the forest."

"What?" she stuttered. "Attacked you? No…someone grabbed me. I was defending myself." She groaned and put a hand to her head. _Why can't I think straight? And why is everything so…wobbly?_

"Don't worry, miss. The Captain'll explain everything a bit better than I can; he asked for me to bring you to his cabin when I woke you up. So he could talk to you." John gave her a small smile. "Are you up for a short walk? I promise it isn't far."

"Uh, yes," Anna muttered. "Alright" John helped her to her feet, but the swaying sensation didn't cease. In fact, it got worse as he unlocked the door to the cell and led her out into the narrow corridor.

"Careful," John laughed as she stumbled into the wall. Anna grabbed onto his arm and tried steadying herself. "Don't worry. You'll get your sea legs soon enough."

"Sea legs?" Anna asked. "Is this…are we on a ship?"

"Of course," he replied. "You must've taken a nasty knock on the head; it might've jarred something loose." When he saw an alarmed expression spread on her face, he quickly stumbled over his words. "No, no. It was a joke."

"Oh, yes," Anna frowned. "A joke."

"Come now," he said with a kind smile. "This way." He led her down the corridor. Anna's mind was reeling; she was on a ship with the men who had attacked her in the forest, and was going to meet their Captain. She didn't have her knapsack or her knives, and even if she could find a way to get away from this…John, she didn't have nearly enough coordination needed to find a way to escape, let alone fight off whoever she encountered along the way.

_I hope this Captain is as nice as John is_, she thought momentarily. _Or at least as nice as John seems he is. Perhaps it's just a façade._

"Here we are." Anna was roused from her thoughts as John stopped before a large wooden door. She vaguely recalled their trip; down some dark, narrow corridors and up a small flight of stairs—or was it down?—but that was it. Had she really been that disconnected to reality? John smiled at her and opened the door, motioning for her to go beyond. Anna hesitantly obeyed and took a few steps into the new room.

"Ah," John exclaimed with a quick glance around the room. "The Captain is away at the moment. No matter. He'll be back soon, I'm sure; he won't mind if you wait for him here."

"You aren't going to wait with me?" Anna asked, turning on her heel to look at him.

"I have some things to attend to, miss. Wouldn't want the others to think I'm slacking on my duties, now would I?"

"I suppose not."

"Make yourself comfortable," John nodded. "Captain Jones will be back shortly; I'm sure of it." With a small smile, he backed out of the room and closed the door behind him. Anna winced at the loud noise it made and raised a hand to her head as if trying to soothe her headache. The action didn't work, obviously. She sighed and looked at her surroundings.

The room was large, as Anna supposed that of a Captain should be, and elegant…but messy; layer upon layer of maps and scrolls littering the desk, a whirlwind of sheets, pillows and blankets upon the large bed, and a few upturned chairs here and there. There were ornate candelabras were spread around the room with wax from the candles frozen in an eerie perpetual dripping state, a wardrobe that was almost closed—the sleeve of a shirt preventing the door to shut the entire way—and a bookshelf with half of its books scattered on the floor beneath it. A small bay of windows with a narrow window seat made up the far wall behind the desk and through them, Anna could see the endless blue of the sea and the sky.

The sound of the door opening behind her made Anna freeze with a mixture of fear and uncertainty. There were heavy footsteps on the wood-planked floors and then the door closed again.

"Ah, you're awake." The smooth voice sounded familiar and Anna turned around slowly, shocked at who she found there. Dark hair, blue eyes, and a condescending smirk on his handsome face; he was mostly clad in black leather, the only exception being the black shirt he wore and the sliver of his vest buttons, his belt buckle and his sword. Anna took an uneasy step backwards and stumbled over her words.

"You!" she exclaimed, for she was staring at one Captain Killian Jones.

* * *

"So it wasn't a dream," Anna muttered, staring at Killian. He smirked and walked past her to his desk, setting the bowl and plate he had been carrying onto the already cluttered surface.

"You thought I was a dream?" he asked her, ego swelling just a tad.

"It seemed the most obvious explanation," she replied. "Pirate captains don't often stop in Corwyn, let alone infiltrate the walls of my family's manor. That and the fact that I never saw you again."

"Glad to know you missed me, love," Killian said, laughing at the way she scowled at him.

In truth, he, too, had been shocked to see her after clocking her in the head with that rock. After she had rejected the offer of travelling with him over a year ago, he was sure that he would never see her again, despite the deal that they had made. In fact he and his crew had only stopped in Doria twice since then, in another town down the coastline from Corwyn that was better suited for their intentions to stock up on supplies and to hide—then later retrieve—the lost jewels of Casimir the Undertaker in the forest nearby.

Killian observed her silently. Anna, the girl he once thought of as a doll—as a great prize to take from the kingdom. Her face had haunted his dreams for many a lonely nights weeks after their encounter, but she had soon faded into the recesses of his mind as his thoughts transitioned to treasures and adventures and other more…realistic conquests. And although she was fidgeting nervously under his scrutiny, certain _untamed _thoughts entered his mind as he watched her. Especially considering her edgier choice of attire.

_I had no idea she had such curves under that dress she wore when I met her, _he thought lasciviously.

Those thoughts vanished, though, and he frowned at the sight of her split lip and the dried blood at her hairline.

"How are you feeling?" he asked with concern.

"I have a headache," she shrugged. "But otherwise I feel fine."

"Hungry?"

"Not really."

"Wise choice," Killian laughed, looking down at the food he had brought for himself—a simple stew, hardtack and salt pork. Ever since Bart the Cook had died in that duel some weeks ago, it wasn't safe to eat anything more complicated than that; obviously, George wasn't that intuit when it came to spices because he had nearly poisoned everyone with his attempts at dinner.

Killian, instead, stepped over to a chest beside his desk and pulled a bottle from inside; he then walked over to Anna.

"Here," he told her, uncorked the bottle with his teeth, and handed it to her. "This'll help with the headache." She took it hesitantly and he laughed. "Don't worry. It isn't poison." With a nod, Anna lifted the mouth of the bottle to her lips and took a delicate sip; Killian laughed as he watched her lift a hand to her mouth as she coughed a few times.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Rum."

"It burns. A lot," she coughed again, looking at the bottle.

"Hmm. It's not the best but it gets better the more you drink," he replied, pushing the bottle back to her lips. As she took another sip and coughed again, he moved back to his desk, pulling a chair from nearby so it sat across on the opposite side of the desk, then took his own seat.

"You can sit if you'd like," he told her, motioning towards the chair. "We have much to talk about."

* * *

_For there to be much to talk about, he seems to enjoy this silence,_ Anna thought as she watched Killian, who in turn watched her as he ate. His eyes were contemplative and she felt like he could see right through her, like he could read her thoughts.

"You were running away from home," Killian finally said, quite bluntly, with no question in his voice. He had already rummaged through the bag she had been carrying with her; clothes, food, money and some other odds and ends he, truthfully, didn't care about. They were the telltale possessions of someone trying to escape.

"Yes," Anna nodded, seeing no reason to lie.

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," she replied haughtily.

"It's my business when six of my men are injured as a result of it," he said coolly.

"I was defending myself."

"Oh, of that I have no doubt," Killian agreed with her. "Now, why were you running away from home?"

They stared at each other again in a silent game of wills. Anna wanted him to drop the subject and let her go; Killian wanted an answer to his question, although he was sure he already knew it. Minutes passed, maybe hours, and Anna broke first.

"I didn't want to stay there anymore," she told him.

"Why?" he asked.

"I wasn't…I wasn't completely satisfied with my life," she muttered, playing with her fingers in a way that felt childish.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"I wasn't happy!" Anna snapped at him. "I wasn't happy in Corwyn, in Doria, and I wanted to leave. So I did." She watched as a lazy smirk spread across the pirate captain's face.

_Oh, how I wish I could reach across this desk and smack him,_ she thought._ I suppose that would get me into more trouble than I already am in, though._

"Where did you plan to go?" he asked.

"Anywhere," she told him. "Everywhere."

"And how did you expect to get anywhere? Everywhere?"

"By ship, I suppose," Anna shrugged. "I don't know the lands beyond or their customs, but gold is gold, and everyone has a price."

"Hmm," he rested his elbows on the desk and tented his fingers in front of him. "What do you think my price is?"

"Excuse me?"

"If you haven't noticed, you _are_ on a ship," he said, gesturing around them. "Why waste time travelling to the nearest port to find passage elsewhere when you and I could strike up a deal?"

"Why would you do that for me?" Anna asked, narrowing her eyes at him in distrust. Killian smirked again. _Not so innocent anymore, _he thought,_ are you Anna?_

"Think of it as a renewed offer," he shrugged. "I asked if you wanted to come away with me on the night that we met. You told me you were happy and declined. Now you've told me that you're unhappy, so I present the offer again. If you turn it down, you are free to leave. No questions, no hesitations. You may take your things and go."

Anna paused in her answer, mouth opening and closing for a moment before she leaned back in the chair and stared at Killian in contemplation. Could she trust him? She hadn't come to any harm, save for the headache, even after the little skirmish in the forest. She had trusted him enough once, albeit blindly, to want to accept his offer, and she would've if she hadn't been so stubborn. Why was she being so stubborn now? He was offering her an out.

"Name your price," she finally said, silently hoping she wouldn't regret it.

"Well, let's see," Killian rubbed his chin in fake contemplation, getting a kick out of . "You need food, a place to sleep, protection when we reach our next destination—although, given your handiwork with Mr. Cody, I'm more than certain you can protect yourself. Am I forgetting anything? Oh, of course. There is the matter of our previous deal that is technically void now that you no longer have access to your family's gold."

"Alright." Anna's eyebrows raised in question. "What do you want?"

"Can you sew?"

"What?" she frowned.

"It's a simple enough question. Can you sew? Mend clothes?"

"I…yes. Of course, but—"

"Can you cook?"

"I don't know. I've never had to. I suppose it isn't that difficult to learn."

"What about tending to wounds? I've lost many a good men to infection thanks to rusty blades and drunken duels."

"Uh…yes," she nodded and waited for more, but he was silent, looking at her expectantly. "But…that's it? That's all you want?"

"Maybe the occasional song or story," he waved a hand dismissively. "To keep the men entertained."

"What about gold?" Anna asked. "Don't you—"

"No," Killian stopped her. "The requests I have made are all that I require if you are to stay on this ship and travel with us. Do you accept?" He stood and held a hand out to her across the desk. Anna studied him silently, watching for any hints of deceit, but she found none.

"I accept," she replied, standing and placing her hand into his. Rather than shake it, he brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles like a gentlemen would, just as he had for the last deal they had struck.

"Welcome aboard, then, Anna," Killian said with a sincere smile.

Anna's heart fluttered in her chest at the look he was giving her with his piercing blue eyes, and she fleetingly thought, _he's so much...more than Charles ever was._

**Author's Note:**

**odetted99:** I know. I was sad Sunday night when there was no OUAT. Thankfully, I had homework, so it didn't matter anyways. Haha. Thanks for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

**orcafan1:** I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far; I hope you enjoyed this chapter too. Thanks for the review!

**PrincessOfSilence:** Yep. I have a countdown until the episode on my school planner. I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and I hope you liked this one too. Thanks for reviewing!

**xxxRena: **I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I hope you liked this chapter too! Thanks for the review!

**MaluTyler:** Thank you so much. Yes, the episode was amazing! I wish I could, but I think he's on everyone's Christmas list this year. Haha. Thanks for the review.

**BeckyBoo12221:** Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. I hope you liked this chapter too. Thanks for reviewing!

**luvdamon: **Thanks so much! And thanks for the review!

**Guest:** I'm glad you like it! Thanks for the review.

**bubbletea4me: **I'm glad you like it so far. And yes; I'll definitely try to. Since Anna is going to start finding herself, I'll get more in-depth with her personal likes and dislikes; everything she knew in Doria had pretty much been forced onto her. Thanks for the review!

**BluePixieOfTheGalaxy:** Thanks for all the reviews on the previous chapters! It was so sweet of you! I totally understand about finals and stuff; gotta keep that GPA up. I know I do. I'm glad you like Anna and the story so far. (And as you can see, hot pirate has made a come-back!) Thanks again!

Hi there! Wow; I was astounded by the response after the last chapter! I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and favorited and followed; you guys are great!

So now Anna is on the Jolly Roger! Now the story will begin to pick up momentum. Nothing too romantic yet—Anna's not the type of girl to fall head over heels immediately—but it'll come soon. SOON! The next few chapters I have planned are going to be pretty…adventurous. But you'll just have to wait and see. Haha!

Thanks for reading!


	7. A Pirate's Life for Me

**Chapter 7:** A Pirate's Life for Me

Anna smiled serenely, her attention solely on the sight before her and not the hustle and bustle that surrounded her. The sea was a calming, constant blue, a few shades darker than the sky; the waves rocked the ship back and forth in a soothing manner and the dull roar they made was a soothing background to the shouts that were being exchanged on the main deck of the _Jolly Roger._

After their deal had been made, Killian alerted the crew to the new addition and that if she was given any trouble, he would deal with them personally. John immediately set to work giving her a tour of the grand pirate ship; he pointed out the galley, where she would be helping George—a portly man with a jolly face—with the meals until she was comfortable cooking on her own, joked about the state of constant disorder on the crew's mess deck and kindly helped her memorize the different corridors and staircases, which deck they led to, and what she'd find there. Once the tour was over, Killian had ushered her to a small room right down the hall from his own cabin, one that she could now call her own.

"We've been using it to store the extra gunpowder for the cannons," he told her as she examined the tiny, tiny room, which now contained a single bed, a washstand and a wooden chest that could store Anna's belongings. "I didn't think you'd take kindly to staying with the rest of the crew."

"Thank you. It's wonderful," Anna told him sincerely with a broad smile because, despite its size, it _was _wonderful. She had slept soundly that first night, and she had been pleasantly surprised that, for the first time in her life,she wasn't woken to the sound of incessant knocking or her mother's shrill voice. She was given her privacy and she cherished it dearly.

The crew, save for the few she had encountered in the forest, had welcomed her with kind greetings and smiles, despite their initial hesitation due to the taboo of having a woman aboard. After seeing how dedicated and diligent Anna was with the tasks she had been given by their captain, they quickly stifled and believed that as long as she didn't cause much trouble, she would be an asset, rather than a burden or a danger. They _especially_ tossed all superstitions aside when Killian had told them that she would be _mending clothes_. Anna had been bombarded immediately by an abyss of torn shirts and jackets, trousers that needed hemming, and even a hat with a gaping hole that needed patching thanks to an angry hunter and his spear.

_ I wonder if the tale is true,_ Anna thought as it was entrusted in her care. _Surely he wouldn't have survived if it was._

It was early afternoon now and Anna had been aboard the _Jolly Roger_ for nearly a week. Killian watched her from his place at the helm with a pleased smile quirking his lips; she had adapted to their unorthodox life easily, acting as if she belonged with them for her entire life, which surprised him, considering the privileged life she had led in Doria. Yet, there she was across the deck, leaning against the railing with a shirt of his in her hands, fingers swiftly plucking a thin needle through the dark fabric as she quickly fixed a torn shoulder. She wasn't even watching what she was doing; she was staring out at the sea, transfixed by it.

_A girl after my own heart_, he thought casually.

He looked over her shoulder to Felix, one of the helmsmen, and as he stepped away from the wheel, the skittish man took his place. Killian then hastened down the stairs from the quarter deck and towards Anna. She didn't notice him as he sidled up beside her, she just kept pulling at her needle and thread, humming a dreamy tune to herself.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" he spoke of the sea. She smiled and looked over at him.

"It is," she agreed. "I suppose I took it for granted all my life in Corwyn, despite it being so close." She was silent then, turning her eyes downward.

"Now you're thinking of home," Killian observed.

"Am I that easy to read?"

"Well, I'm the Captain, love. I know everything." Anna laughed, causing his condescending smirk to grow.

"How can I help you, _Captain?_" she asked.

"I wanted to let you know that we'll be docking soon," he told her. "In Montem."

"Montem?" she repeated slowly with a frown, letting the foreign name run over her tongue as if she could taste it. She didn't know if it was bitter or sweet.

"Yes." Killian nodded. "An island. One big city and then a vast…nothing of forests and beaches."

"Why tell me?"

"I wanted to give you some warning. Montem is a very dangerous place; it's filled with thieves…killers…"

"Do you mean to say it's filled with pirates?" Anna asked with eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Cheeky girl."

"Don't worry. I can take care of myself."

"Ah, I don't doubt it. But there is safety in numbers. I'm sure John would accompany you if you'd like to do some exploring."

"If you're so worried about me, why don't you do it?"

"I have other matters to attend to," he replied pensively, but then glanced at her and smirked then. "_Someone _has to sample the local rum before restocking our supply."

_Of course,_ Anna thought. _The rum._

While she _had_ been coerced into drinking it, specifically during meals, she wasn't accustomed to it and didn't see why the men consumed it in such vast quantities.

"I wouldn't want to be a trouble for John. Why don't I just stay on the ship," Anna suggested. "There's plenty for me to do here."

"I wouldn't want to deprive you of experiencing a new land," Killian replied thoughtfully. "It may be dangerous, but it is very beautiful and filled with wonders and oddities that you can't find anywhere else in this world. You'll enjoy it."

"I'm sure I will," Anna smiled brightly.  
"I'm hoping that you won't try to stay though," he laughed. "If I have to endure George's cooking for another day, I'll probably jump overboard."

"Don't worry. I quite like it here."

"I'm glad." Killian said gently, surprising both himself and Anna. He nodded an awkward goodbye and then returned to his place at the helm.

* * *

The _Jolly Roger_ sailed into harbor in Montem early the next morning. Once the anchor was dropped and the gangplank lowered, most of the crewmen _ran_ to the nearby pub. Anna had been much more hesitant to leave the safety of the ship for two reasons, one being patience, as John some final tasks to oversee, and the other being fear.

The fear had gripped her since dinner the previous night; it had been quite a revelrous affair filled with numerous bottles of rum, unbelievable tales and boisterous laughter. One tale, in particular, had turned Anna's expectations of Montem bitter.

"They say that Montem is cursed," Gibbs had said, interrupting all the ongoing conversations, causing everyone to become absolutely silent. Gibbs, the oldest member of the crew by far, was a skilled navigator—maybe even moreso than the Captain—and had seen many things in his long life. Because of this, he had the respect of everyone aboard; so, on the rare chance he spoke anything more than a grunted response, everyone knew to listen and listen well.

"Things disappearing," Gibbs continued with a hacking cough. "_People_ disappearing. Once when I was young, I ventured into the great forest, drunk, with a bunch of me mates; I was the only one who lived to tell the tale. Couldn't find their bodies, no. Just great pools of their blood and echoes of their screams against the trees."

Gibbs grew silent then, and the noise resumed; Anna could barely utter a word for the rest of the night, though. She got little sleep that night, thanks to vivid nightmares of running through a dark, frightening forest with someone—or some_thing_—giving chase close behind her, thirsty for her blood.

Anna's fears were put a bit at ease once she set foot on solid ground; with a quick glance at her surroundings, she took a deep breath and willed her insecurities away. She was in a different kingdom, in a different part of the world. There was a harbor filled with magnificent ships, more than she could count if she had the time to and…and there was a mountain! Aside from a few low hills, Doria was completely flat; even the King's castle wasn't as colossal as that mountain. It towered over everything.

"So," John began as he joined Anna on the dock. "I took a look at the ship's stores—it seems we're low on a few things—and I thought we could do a little exploring while in the market. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," she nodded eagerly and took the arm he had offered.

As they made their way down the long wooden dock and into town, Anna observed as much as she could—every ship, every passerby. She had been surprised to find that mostly everything she turned her eyes to felt…familiar. The people appeared normal, the buildings were built similarly to those in Doria, as was the layout of the town. She felt no disappointment, and yet it still seemed odd to her. What had she expected? People who wore trousers on their arms? Or perhaps horses with eight legs and three heads? No…that was just silliness. Perhaps she thought that the further one got from home, the less like home things would look.

That became true the second she and John stepped into the marketplace. Rather than sit along one long street, it made up an entire square; it was filled with hundreds of makeshift stalls and stands aside from a few actual buildings, and every square yard was occupied with at least three bodies that were bartering or crying or yelling so wares could be sold. It was all chaos and—

"It's wonderful," Anna clapped with glee.

"Yes," John chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm. "Well you won't say such when we are _in_ that mess."

"Come then," she said, tugging him along. What he hadn't realized was that her main source of joy in Doria—aside from sewing—was spending time in the market. It gave her a chance to speak with people who weren't stuffy nobles and experience a life that wasn't limited by the walls of a manor. Being in this market gave her the same joy, and maybe, an increased sense of it because, just as the market itself looked very different, the wares being peddled were also very different.

There were fruits and vegetables of strange shapes and colors and odd bobbles that seemed useless but were far from it indeed. Anna found that even the money was strange; one of her gold Dorian coins had been accepted, although with much hesitation, when she wished to purchase a box of thread and a set of new needles, but she received a handful of multicolored and sized coins in return. She was puzzled at their appearance; they looked to be made of neither a metal, nor a gem, although they had attributes of both.

"They are called Irises," John explained when Anna expressed her confusion.

"Like the colored part of an eye," Anna suggested, running a finger on the surface of one of the blue coins.

"Yes, exactly. No one knows what they're made of, though; I suppose it got lost over time."

"But why don't they use gold coins? Or silver?"

"Again, it—" John began.

"Got lost over time," Anna sighed in conclusion, somewhat dejected.

"Don't worry, Miss Anna, I've found it best not to ask questions here," John shrugged. "You'll never get straight answers anyways."

"Why?"

"The Montemi like their secrets," he replied simply, taking her arm to lead her to a nearby stand that displayed barrels of, both, wine and cannon powder for sale.

Anna, not really interested in either one—she liked a good wine as much as the next person, but her knowledge was limited—just stood by idly as John bartered with the merchant for a good deal on both. From her spot, she could make out a few familiar faces from the_ Jolly Roger_, including Killian himself, who stood on the far side of the market, arguing with a man dressed in finery. They both had furious expressions plastered to their faces, their arms flailing wildly as they spoke, and Anna expected that their conversation would turn to violence.

She hadn't gotten a chance to see the outcome though, as she was soon swept along by a crowd of shoppers whose path she had been standing in.

"Excuse me," she strained as she was pushed and jostled about. "Excuse me!"

"Yes, excuse you," a woman scowled, pushing Anna out of their stampede. She quickly looked around, thoroughly disoriented, and frowned.

_I couldn't have gotten so far in so short a time,_ she thought as she observed her surroundings.

She spotted the cart where she and John had stopped for a few boxes of apples…and the shop where Anna insisted they get clean bandages to keep aboard the ship. She took a deep breath and paused as a familiar scent overtook her senses; it was the scent of her mother's perfume. Her heart skipped a beat, and worry overtook her as she wondered how she had been found; she soon realized that she was being silly. There was no way her mother could be in Montem. Out of curiosity, followed the scent as best she could to a nearby shop, one with a wooden sign over the door that had been carved and painted in the shape of a flower.

Anna pushed past the gauzy curtains that served instead of an actual door and she was overwhelmed by the flowery scent that reminded her of home. The shop consisted of a single, large room that was cluttered with burlap sacks and wooden crates; in the corner near the window, she spotted a middle-aged woman who was hunched over a mortar, grinding its contents intently. By some coincidence, the woman looked up and smiled brightly at the sight of a possible customer.

"What do we have here?" she greeted in a gentle voice. "Hello."

"Good morning," Anna greeted in return, taking a few steps further into the shop.

"I am Mirabelle," the woman cooed. "Can I help you with something?"

"I was just…" Anna fumbled with her words sheepishly. "I smelled lilacs, you see..."

"What an astute nose you have," Mirabelle laughed. "I've been working on a powder for one of the healers in town; he believes a fever will spread soon and wants to be prepared. He's a silly man; he only treats injuries."

"No one falls ill here?"

"No one I've met."

"How strange. What is this place anyways?" Anna asked, looking around the shop once again.

"My husband liked to call it an apothecary. I took it over when he passed on a few years ago," Mirabelle said sadly. "I've always thought of it as a glorified spice shop; he didn't like that very much."

"If no one gets sick, how do you stay in business?"

"Oh I make perfumes too, decorations for holidays, and a heavenly root stew; so good, you wouldn't know that it _is_ root stew. And of course, there are travelers, like you, who think I'm some sort of magician, so they come in looking for some kind of charm to fend the curses off. "

"Curses?" Anna frowned, recalling Gibbs' tale.

"Silly superstitions," Mirabelle waved. "They help bring in some more coins for merchants like us. So long as you keep your nose in your own business, nothing is going to hurt you here."

"Well that's a relief," Anna replied with a laugh.

"Why do you say that?"

"It's just an idea that worked its way into my head. It's rather silly."

"Go on," Mirabelle gestured for her to continue.

"It's…I heard a story that people died in the forest near here," Anna said softly. "And, for some reason, I dreamt that there was some terrible beast lurking there that was the cause of it. Silliness, as I said." The shop was silent for a while before Mirabelle uttered a nervous reply.

"Silliness," she cleared her throat, "yes."

"What is it?" Anna asked, noticing the change in the woman's tone. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing. I just realized that Healer Vincent would be expecting the lilac powder soon. I must go," Mirabelle said hastily, standing from her seat and crossing the distance between them. "You must go."

"B-but—" Anna stammered as she was led through the curtains and back out into the market. Mirabelle smoothed a hand over her hair in a motherly way and leaned in close to Anna to whisper in her ear.

"Keep your silly thoughts to yourself…and do not ask questions. You must go. Now." Mirabelle backed away and smiled sadly before disappearing behind the curtains again. Anna stared at the material as it billowed lightly in the wind and frowned; what had she said to make Mirabelle so restless? Just moments before, she herself had been mocking such silly superstitions, and now she acted as if something _was_ actually out in the forest, waiting to pounce.

"Found you." Anna jumped and turned around to find Killian standing just a foot away from her, a triumphant smirk on his lips. Anna simply raised an eyebrow in question and he chuckled. "John thought he had lost you; nearly started crying at the thought of something happened to you."

"How thoughtful," Anna smiled, her previous worries vanishing.

"How embarrassing," Killian corrected, recalling the event. "I pride myself in having the fiercest crew of pirates to roam these lands and seas, and my own first mate was nearly sent to tears at the thought of something happening to you."

"He was probably troubled at the thought of eating another of George's meals," Anna teased. "That _was_ how you so kindly put it yesterday, was it not Captain?"

"Aye."

"Then let us make haste; he might die of fright if we take our time."

Killian smirked and offered his arm, which Anna readily accepted with a bright smile of her own.

_Oh yes,_ he thought as he led her to the nearby pub where the crew had gathered. _She most certainly belongs with us._

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**PrincessOfSilence: **Thanks so much for reviewing! I hope you liked this chapter too!

**BluePixieOfTheGalaxy: **Yep, and he's here to stay. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter; hopefully you liked this one too. Thanks for the review.

**orcafan1:** Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. I hope you liked this chapter too. Thanks for the review.

**missastoria: **Yep, kinda AU. I'm debating whether or not to eventually follow the storyline of the show, and the more I watch, the more I'm swaying towards it. That won't be for some time though, so I have time to decide. I'm glad you like the story so far! Thanks for reviewing!

**BeckyBoo12221:** Happy Belated Birthday! It was _your_ birthday you were referring too, yes? I'm glad you like the story so far! I'm trying to keep it exciting, and reading reviews makes me doubt my writing much less. So thanks for the review!

**Hope:** Thanks for reading! I'm glad you like it so far. More to come soon; I promise.

Oh, my! I'm back! I had lots of stuff to do this past month to get ready for Christmas and no time to write _at all_. We literally put up our Christmas tree two days before Christmas Eve! But now that the holidays are over—and OUAT is back on TV—so I found some time to write another chapter. I'm not absolutely happy with it, or the fact that it's Killian Lite, but I think this is the best version of it that I have written (out of 5 drafts). The next chapter will have a little more action, a little more Killian and a lot more suspense…I promise!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited after the last chapter; I'm really happy that you guys are enjoying this story. See you soon. Sooner. Haha!

Thanks for reading!


	8. A Bloody Contract

**Chapter 8: **Bloody Contract

"I don't like this game," Anna said as she shuffled her checkers around the board.

"You're only sore because you're losing," Killian replied.

"I'm only losing because you keep changing the rules," she countered. He chuckled at the small pout forming on her lips and scooped the dice off the board.

They, along with most of the crew of the Jolly Roger, had been occupying the largest pub in Montem for hours. Unlike the others, who were partaking in boisterous activities, Killian and Anna were mostly silent, save for some banter, as Killian taught her to play backgammon. They had been at it for a long time, but she still couldn't grasp the concept, and often accused him of cheating.

_Well, I am,_ he thought wryly. _But I'll never tell her that._

"I'm not changing the rules, love," he lied. "You never asked what the rules were before we started playing." Anna eyed him warily, but Killian just shrugged innocently and continued with his turn, successfully knocking another one of her checkers off the board and onto the bar. She was about to take her turn when she looked over to the entryway of the pub and noticed a man there, looking about the crowded room nervously. She recognized him as the same opulently dressed man she had seen Killian arguing with in the market square much earlier.

Noticing the way his gaze landed on Killian, and the scowl that passed over his face as he approached quickly, Anna figured that his presence was no coincidence.

"Jones," the man bit out as he reached the table. "It figures that I'd find you and you…abominable crew here."

"Ah, Mr. Percy." Killian greeted with a smirk.

"_Governor _Percy," the man corrected.

"Yes, yes," Killian said with a dismissive wave, then motioned to an unoccupied chair at the table. "Won't you join us?" The Governor sneered at him and begrudgingly took the offered seat, placing a small rectangular box onto the table as he settled. "Ah, and I see you brought the contract."

"Yes. You'll find that everything is in order," the Governor nodded and removed a scroll of parchment from the box. Anna watched curiously as he unfurled it and presented it to Killian, who quickly read over it.

"Hmm," he nodded. "Seems so. Anna, love, may I borrow your knife?"

"I…" she frowned and glanced at the Governor, then back at Killian. "Why do you—"

"Oh don't worry," he assured with a smile. "I don't mean any harm to dear, old Percy, here. You see, we've just struck up a deal, and if I kill him…well, then I won't get my end of it."

"But then why do you need the knife?" Anna asked.

"Contracts in Montem are signed with blood," Governor Percy answered, causing Anna to go wide-eyed. "Don't worry, my dear. There is nothing…sinister to worry about. It is just a part of tradition. Blood signifies life, and to break a signed contract means death." He turned his gaze to Killian with a spark of hope in his eyes.

"Don't get your hopes up, Percy," Killian scoffed. "I have no intentions to break this contract. Not when the prospects of it are so great. Now Anna, the knife if you please."

Anna was wary as she pulled the knife from her boot; she had heard stories of men who signed contracts in blood, and in actuality, they were selling their souls away. Could she trust that this instance was as simple as the Governor had explained? She shook her head, realizing that she was in no position to argue—Killian was the captain, and had sailed for a while, so he knew better than she did—and she handed the knife to him; meanwhile, Governor Percy took his own knife from his belt. The two men held their hands over the bottom of the contract and, with a shared nod, they simultaneously made a thin incision into their palms and, with a quick squeeze of their fists, tiny droplets of blood landed atop the parchment where each of their names had been written.

The Governor removed a piece of cloth from his pocket, wiped his hand, and then rolled the contract up to place back into the box.

"There we are," he said with a sigh. "Everything's in order. You hold up your end of the deal and I shall hold up mine. You have two days, Jones." He nodded a farewell to Anna, then turned on his heel and left. Anna frowned and turned back to Killian, who was staunching the bleeding of his own cut hand.

"See, simple as that," he said with an overconfident grin. "Now let us get back to our game; I believe it's your turn."

"What?" Anna stuttered. "That man just gave you two days to fulfill your contract, and you want to continue to teach me to play backgammon?"

"Of course," Killian replied, taking a swig from his tankard of ale. "I'm not worried in the slightest."

"Not even with the consequence of your death hanging in the balance?" she asked. Killian observed the worry in her eyes; he set his ale down and gently took her hand in his.

"There's no need to worry for me, Anna," he soothed, running his thumb over the back of her delicate hand and unconsciously savoring the softness of her skin. "I've been in stickier situations than this. And there's really nothing I can do today, anyways. Not with half the crew blistered beyond coherent thought. I'll need all of them in their right minds if we're to succeed in our quest."

"If I might ask," Anna began uneasily. "What is our quest?"

"We have to save a little girl."

* * *

Killian explained everything—Governor Percy's request, the contract, and, of course, the reward—in further depth to Anna and the crew early the next morning aboard the _Jolly Roger_. Most of the men were nursing wicked hangovers, and barely listened to their Captain's tale, but Anna hung on every single word that came from his mouth.

Apparently, Governor Percy had two children, both young daughters, one of which had gone missing while taking a nature walk with her tutor. The tutor had returned to Percy's home in hysterics; it was the girl's idea to have a game of hide and seek as a break from the monotony of her lessons, and although the tutor agreed, she had no idea that the girl would venture into the forest in order to find a better hiding spot. It had been two weeks since she had gone missing and there had been no sign of her but Percy tried to keep hopeful.

As soon as his daughter was reported missing, he had sent notice of his hardship to kingdoms and countries far and wide, searching for any brave soul who would dare to venture into the cursed forest to rescue his little girl, and in return, they would be rewarded beyond their wildest beliefs. No one had claimed the task…until Killian had ventured upon one such notice at a pub in Doria. Needless to say, Percy didn't take too well to having a pirate knocking on his door , which was the reason for the hostility Anna had witnessed between the men the day before.

Percy didn't trust that a pirate would save his daughter, and Killian didn't trust that the shifty Governor would give a big enough reward for the deed.

The crew of the _Jolly Roger_ didn't think so either, even though their fearless Captain had, more or less, put his own life on the line to insure it. They didn't think that the spoils were worth the danger and were quick to voice their opinions.

"What if _we_ disappear too?"

"We could be _killed_ out there!"

"Captain, have some mercy on us, eh?"

"Enough!" Killian snapped at them, his voice overtaking all the others and commanding silence. Anna swore than in those few seconds before he spoke again, she could hear a pin drop.

"I never thought I would see the day that my crew would become so cowardly," he spat. "Your fears are unfounded; there is nothing sinister in that forest. _But _there is a frightened little girl, alone and unsure of her way home, waiting to be rescued, and _when_ we find her, we will be rewarded handsomely."

Killian stared at his crew, as if daring them to speak their minds again, and continued after an acceptable amount of silence. "We begin our search at noon and we will search through the night if necessary; I want the girl found by the time the sun rises tomorrow morning."

_That way,_ he thought, _I will fulfill the contract before Percy comes after my head._

Killian let John begin delegating tasks to the men so they could ready themselves for the presumably long day ahead, and then disappeared below deck. Anna pondered the notion of going after him; she thought his dedication to the cause—despite being motivated by the promise of treasure—endearing. Who would've thought that a pirate would give any care to a lost little girl? Perhaps, if he were to see that he had _some_ type of support that wasn't given reluctantly, he wouldn't seem so…tense.

"Anna!" Her thoughts vanished at the sound of her name being called, and she turned around, searching for the source. "Oh, there you are!" She spotted John approaching with a bored-looking Gibbs in tow.

"Here I am," she smiled eagerly, ready for a taste of adventure. "What tasks do you have for me?"

"Well," John began. "None, I'm afraid."

"What?"

"You see, the Captain insisted that you would be better suited to stay with Gibbs and watch the ship while the rest of us go search for the Governor's daughter," John explained. "He thinks you'll be safer this way."

"But he just said that there was nothing sinister in the forest," Anna protested.

"While that is true, there are many wild things out there; animals and such. _And_," John raised his voice to prevent Anna from interjecting. "While you have insisted, numerous times, that you can care for yourself, he believes—and I do agree with him on this—that it would keep his mind at rest if he knew you were safe."

"I didn't know he cared so," I deadpanned.

"You are a part of this crew now, Miss Anna," John smiled warmly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We all care for each other, like a family, if you will." With a nod, he turned on his heel and went to take care of his other responsibilities.

"Feelin' a tad bitter now, aren't you girl?" Gibbs observed.  
"First chance at real adventure and I'm supposed to stay behind and watch the ship," Anna huffed.

"I didn't think I was that bad of company to keep," Gibbs said in a gruff voice, then shot her a grin.

* * *

…_traveled through an enchanted storm called a tornado and ended up in a land that seemed normal, at first, but is inhabited by strange, impossible creatures, such as winged monkeys and talking scarecrows. The land contains magic, and based on Mister Gavin's recollections, is ruled by it, as proven by the age-old tumultuous battle between a feared, but beloved, wizard and his confidantes, and two, so-called, wicked witches…_

Anna shut the book gently and stared up at the sky with boredom. The _Jolly Roger_ had been absolutely silent since Killian and John and the rest of the crew left at noon, save for some creaking as the ship rocked a bit in the water and some quiet conversations coming from passersby on the dock. Anna figured that Gibbs was content about being left behind, as he had slept for most of the day, save for the few times that he went in search of rum or food.

It was dark now, and until Anna lit the few lanterns that were hanging about the deck, she would be unable to read any more of the book she had been given at Devlin's wedding, as she had been for the past few hours. She thought it infinitely intriguing, yes—a collection of interviews and studies on worlds and universes beyond their own—but she was becoming restless.

_If I wanted to spend an entire day reading, I might as well have stayed in Doria,_ she thought with a sigh.

A thought popped into her head—a reckless thought that would probably have her mother scolding her for if she_ had_ stayed in Doria—and she turned her gaze to the dock. Specifically, she turned her gaze to the road that led into, and in turn, through town. The road that the crew of the _Jolly Roger_ had taken when they had left at noon; the road that, she assumed, led to the forest. She quickly glanced over to Gibbs—who was reclined in a comfy-looking chair, sleeping—and then back to the road.

_Surely the ship will be fine,_ she thought._ No one was watching over it last night when we were at the pub._

Anna smirked deviously and stood, then took careful, soft steps across the deck and to the gangplank. She was sure that no one would know that she had gone, especially if she returned to the ship before sunrise. She had the whole night.

"Where do you think you're going, girl?" Gibbs' harsh voice stopped her cold in her tracks. Anna mentally cursed the old man and turned around sheepishly; Gibbs was sitting in the chair, upright, and wide awake with his arms crossed over his chest, and he was staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I…I don't know," she lied. "Out for some air."

"You're on a pirate ship," Gibbs pointed out. "You're surrounded by 'air.'"

"Well, yes, but—"

"D'you have your knives with you?" he asked, cutting her off.

"Well…yes," Anna nodded with a frown, gesturing to the three knives sheathed on the belt she had bought while at the market with John the day before, and the one tucked away in her boot.

"Then go on," he waved her off uninterestedly. "Go have your adventure."

"You aren't going to make me stay?" Anna asked curiously.

"Make you stay?" Gibbs scoffed. "I didn't even know you left. What do I know? I'm just a tired old man." He smirked at her and returned to his reclined position, promptly falling back to sleep, or so Anna figured by the sounds of his snoring.

She beamed and turned on her heel, excitedly skipping down the gangplank. She calmed herself enough by the time she reached the road into town as not to garner unwanted attention from the people she passed by. Her strange clothes and the fact that she was armed, though, brought the unwanted attention anyways, although, it lessened the further down the road she went.

Anna thought it strange that the density of buildings and houses became lesser and lesser as she neared the forest; were the Montemi people truly that scared? Her steps faltered as she reached the dark tree line and wondered if it would be smarter to return to the safety of the _Jolly Roger._ But then Killian's words about how he couldn't believe that he had a crew full of cowards echoed in her mind, and she lifted her head high and continued on.

After an hour—what felt like an hour, at least, as she had no way to judge the time—Anna began to reconsider her decision. The trees were impossibly tall and wide and dense; the further she got, the harder it got for her move as she wished, and she was forced to follow the clearer pathways that seemed to wind in strange patterns.

"No wonder the Governor's daughter got lost in this…mess," Anna muttered softly to herself as she ducked under a low hanging branch that didn't budge when she tried to move it out of her way. "If I don't keep a track of where I'm going, I'm bound to get lost as well."

By some type of luck or change, Anna noticed footprints imprinted in the ground before her, even in the darkness. She tried to follow them as best she could, thanks to the lack of light, but she made due. Her luck began to run out, though, when the footprints dwindled down from a group of prints, to just one set, then to none.

"Damn," she cursed softly in frustration, and then, also in frustration, she kicked the tree nearest to her. She cursed again when pain radiated through her foot. "Ah. Ow. Bad idea."

"Hello," a soft voice gained Anna's attention and she looked around. "Is someone there?"

"Yes," Anna replied hesitantly.

"Oh, there you are," the voice said again with a soft giggle. "I found you."

"You may have found me, but I cannot find you," Anna said, still unable to see the owner of the voice. "Where are you?"

"I'm up here, silly." Anna looked up and faintly spotted a figure sitting above her among the twisted branches of the tree. Upon further inspection, Anna saw that it was a little girl, no older than seven or eight, with tousled golden curls and a lavish, albeit dirty, powder blue dress.

_The governor's daughter_, Anna realized with a smile.

"Hello," the little girl greeted with a wave of her small hand. "What's your name?"

"I'm Anna."

"That's a pretty name," the girl smiled. "I'm Cassily. Are you lost?"

"Lost?" Anna asked. "Well, no I don't think so, although if you asked me if I knew the direction from whence I came, I don't think I could give you a truthful answer."

"That's ok," Cassily replied sadly. "I'm lost too. I have been for a few days now."

"Have you been eating?"

"Yes. There are a few apple trees close by that I like to hide in at night. I like apples."

"Why aren't you hiding there now?" Anna asked.

"There have been scary men walking in the forest all day," Cassily told her softly. "I was on my way to my apple trees for lunch…but I ended climbing up this tree so they wouldn't see me."

"Those are my friends," Anna informed her softly. "They weren't going to hurt you; they've been looking for you. Your father asked us to find you."

"My papa sent you?"

"Uh-huh. If you come down, I'm sure we can find some of my friends and we can all take you home."

"Oh," Cassily's face dropped into a frown. "But it isn't safe in the forest at night."

"Why not?" Anna asked.

"Because of the beast," Cassily said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and that Anna was silly for not knowing the fact herself. "The beast doesn't like it when people are in his forest at night."

"There is no beast. You'll be safe if you come down," Anna tried. "I'll keep you safe until you get home."

"No," the girl shook her head frantically. "There is a beast. I've seen him! He hurts people who are in the forest. He kills them. He wants blood; blood and gold."

Suddenly, a distant scream echoed through the trees and Anna spun on her heel in alert.

"See?" Cassily asked calmly from her haven in the tree. "He's just found someone and killed them."

Anna didn't hear her, though; she was too distracted by the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears.

**Author's Note: **

**missastoria: **And now there's another (late) update! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you enjoy this chapter too. Thanks for the review.

**PrincessOfSilence: **I'm trying to write mysteriously and adventurously; I don't know how well I'm achieving my goal though. I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and hopefully you like this one too. Thanks for reviewing

**musicluver246:** Thanks! I'm glad you like it so far!

**Eline: **I'm glad you like the story so far! Thanks for reviewing!

**ilon:** Chapter 8. There you go! Hopefully, I can finish chapter 9 much more quickly than this one.

**SemiraBlake:** I'm glad you like it so far. More to come soon; I promise.

**xXxCastielxXx:** I'm glad you like it so far. Thanks for reviewing!

**NothingMoreThanStories: **I updated! I hope you like the new chapter. Thank you for reviewing and your kind words. I'm glad that you enjoy the story.

I'm a terrible person! I can't believe that I haven't updated in so long! Now I'm back, and I hope this chapter is up-to-par with all the other ones I've posted so far, but it's been so long since I actually sat down and wrote something more than a drabble or an idea and I fear I'm a tad rusty. There's no excuse for being so late, though, so I'm sorry!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited after the last chapter; I'm really happy that you guys are enjoying this story. See you sooner. Haha!

Thanks for reading!


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